Obituary

Born October 15, 1927 (Guelph Ontario). Died November 6, 2020 (Fergus Ontario) at age 93. She leaves behind her three children; son Philip and daughter-in-law Evelyn, grandchildren Ellen and Rachel, daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Michael, grandchildren Amelia, Sam, and Kate and her husband Jackson, and great grandson Jalen, daughter Ruth, grandchild Grace together with her father Dale. Eleanor Elizabeth Brown (nee Maxwell) was the second child for Erland and Jimmie Maxwell, and a sister to Bob. Eleanor was an accomplished, strong, independent woman whose infectious smile, compassion, courage, and incredible resilience, inspired all who met her. Eleanor grew up and attended school in Owen Sound, Ontario. After high school, she moved to Toronto to train as a nurse at East York General Hospital, and apart from an interlude of about 20 years, she nursed her whole life. Her career took her from the Victorian Order of Nurses, working in low income areas in downtown Toronto, to an Emergency Room in northern Manitoba, a veteran’s hospital in Montreal, Quebec, to the Maplehurst Correctional Centre in Milton, and ultimately – in retirement – to volunteer stints at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in the small northern town of Hazelton, BC. While living in Toronto during her nursing training, she met the love of her life, Lorne Brown, an intense, smart, compassionate young man who was completing his theological studies at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto. Their connection was immediate and long lasting. They were married on August 19, 1950. In 1964, after about 11 years at St. James Islington United Church, Lorne and Eleanor bought a cottage on the shores of Big Bay and promptly moved to Cedar Park United Church, in Pointe Claire, Quebec, where they stayed for 11 enriching years. In 1975, Lorne accepted a call to St. Paul’s United Church, in Milton, Ontario. However difficult it was for Eleanor to leave Pointe Claire, she arrived at St. Paul’s with her great zest for life and optimism. Throughout this fast paced and busy life, Eleanor and Lorne raised three children — Philip (1955), Elizabeth (1958) and Ruth (1961). They were her greatest joy. Eleanor’s life changed forever on July 22, 1978 when she and Lorne, the three children, then 17, 20 and 23, along with some friends, were involved in a deadly collision. Lorne and Elizabeth’s boyfriend Gerald deKoeyer died. Eleanor sustained serious injuries. Single at the age of 50, and a long slow road to recovery ahead, she fought hard to regain her life. With her faith and the support and loving embrace of the Milton community the impossible became possible. Eleanor’s resilience and courage in those days inspired many others in the years that followed. In time, she regained her health, began her daily walking rituals, and returned to nursing full-time at Maplehurst Correctional Centre and retired in 1992. Eleanor lived for many years in Burlington, becoming an active member of Port Nelson United Church, then, in retirement, moved to Elora Ontario, where she joined the faith community at Melville United Church in Fergus. In May of 2019, Eleanor moved to Heritage River in Elora, a retirement residence for seniors. There she received excellent care from the health and wellness team, and in a relatively short time her two room suite with garden views felt like home. During her nursing years and while raising her children, Eleanor continued her volunteer work through the church, often spearheading new initiatives like Meals on Wheels, Teleministry and Stewardship Campaigns. In addition to her church service, full time nursing, mothering and grandmothering, Eleanor travelled. An adventure she first discovered with her beloved Lorne on their 25th wedding anniversary trip to England and Scotland in the summer of 1976. Through later years Eleanor travelled with family and friends to places like Hawaii, Austria, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Israel, Germany, Italy and a Bermuda Cruise. Eleanor’s children and grandchildren, along with extended family members on both her and Lorne’s side, meant the world to her. Through the years she faithfully gathered us all together, for we were family, and that’s what families do. And her circle of friends would eventually extend wide across this country. Eleanor’s long and rich life ended on November 6, 2020, after falling and breaking her hip, the final in a series of falls and health challenges that she faced. With the excellent and caring medical staff at Groves Memorial Community Hospital, Eleanor peacefully made her way with family at her side. In lieu of flowers, a donation could be made to the Mission and Service Fund of the United Church of Canada. Melville United Church, Fergus, Ontario https://melvilleunited.com/ways-to-give/ St. Paul’s United Church, Milton, Ontario https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/47160 Port Nelson United Church, Burlington, Ontario http://www.portnelsonunitedchurch.com/ Cedar Park United Church, Pointe Claire, Quebec http://cedarparkunited.org/donate-now/ A Celebration of Life for Eleanor Brown is planned for Saturday, June 12, 2021, 11:00am at Melville United Church, 300 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus, ON N1M 2W7 519-843-1781. Letters of condolence, shared stories and memorial donations may be left for the family online at www.mckersie-kocher.ca