1936 – 2024 Passed away peacefully on Sunday April 7th, 2024 at The Elliott, Guelph after a lengthy 12 year battle with Dementia / Alzheimer’s at the age of 87 years. Grace was born in the east end of Toronto and the youngest of 3 children. Her parents, Ernest and May immigrated to Canada from England in 1910. Grace’s father served in the first world war. As the youngest child of middle aged parents, Grace roamed free and nearly met her end when she fell off the Scarborough bluffs, but was saved by the local paperboy. An abhorrence of mathematics led Grace’s early exit from high school and her first job as a hairdresser. At 19, she married Donald Stark (Ted) and by 25 was the mother of three girls; Cynthia, Jennifer and Dale. Ted’s career took the family from Toronto to Brantford and later to Kitchener. Once the girls were all in school, Grace returned to school and obtained her GED. She then went on to college and became a social worker. To celebrate her accomplishment, she strapped a backpack on and headed off to Europe for a month with her friend Miranda. Grace loved social work, but her empathetic nature resulted in distress when she couldn’t solve all of society’s problems. Grace wore many hats in her life, a real estate agent, an insurance sales woman and working for Grand River Personnel (a job placement agency) and from there formed a partnership with her sister Pat, an accomplished artist to set up an interior design and furniture sales business. Together with Ted they worked hard to renovate an old stable to garage on Regina St Waterloo and opened Artisan Interiors. Sadly, circumstances led to the closing of this business and the end of her marriage to Ted. Grace then turned her hand to the food industry, moving to Elora with her partner Jim Pritchard. Together they opened an ice cream shop. The Cake and Cone. This evolved into the opening of a restaurant, known as Mingles. She eventually moved on to working at the Aberfoyle Mill, The Waterlot in New Hamburg and running the kitchen at the YW-YMCA in Kitchener. Grace ultimately joined her husband Jim in managing his company Kitchener Fasteners, first in Fergus then in Guelph. They both retired in early 2000’s. Throughout Grace’s life she maintained an open – heart policy, listening, counselling, consoling and doling our countless cups of tea around her old antique dining table. Many of her children’s friends remember her wisdom and generosity of spirit. No story about Grace is complete without the mention of all the dogs in her life. From her childhood German Shepherd, Prince to Taffy, Licorice, Tilly, Laddy, Corey, Petey, Penny, Carl, Jesse and Jake plus countless cats and other rescued animals. No home was complete without pets for Grace. Beloved wife of the late James D. Pritchard (2012). Loving mother of Cynthia Dron (Douglas), Dale Carere (Enzo) and the late Jennifer Stark (2015). Also Loving step-mother of Christopher Muise (Heidi). Cherished Grandmother of Callie (Nolan), Jordan (Bruce), Maggie (Adam) and Ian (Elizabeta) and great-grandmother of Alexei and Ariela. Predeceased by her parents; Ernst and Mae Harding, by her siblings; Patricia Dolman (Bob) and Robert Harding (Thelma). Special thanks to all the wonderful and caring staff at the Elliott Community, your kindness will always be remembered by Grace’s family. Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Johns Church, Elora on Wednesday May 22, 2024 at 2pm. A private family interment will be held at a later date at St. John the Baptist Norway, Toronto. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Elliott Community (https://www.elliottcommunity.org/) or New Hope Animal Rescue (https://www.newhopeanimalrescue.ca/).
