Brenda Elizabeth Brett

Brenda Elizabeth Brett died at the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital on October 30, 2024. She was 89.

Born in Toronto, she came to the Orillia area at age 11 in April 1946, with her parents Robert and Marjorie (Ivy) Brett and her grandmother Florence (Nan) Thomas, to a 100 acre farm on Highway 12 in Uptergrove. A few years later, after Brenda’s father contracted polio, they moved into Orillia.

Brenda was employed at the Huronia Regional Centre for 34 years, first in jobs related to nursing and then in social work. Following retirement in 1990, Brenda enjoyed meeting people as she sang (the Drifters, the Raging Grannies), whistled, and read at retirement and long term care homes. She was often recognized around Orillia as “the lady who whistles”. She was a prolific writer: memoirs with the Orillia Public Library’s Lifescapes programme; poems celebrating people’s retirements and life events; short stories for literary competitions. We will try to record digitally many of Brenda’s writings so that people can access them if wished. She was devoted to caring for her mother in Ivy’s declining years. She was also totally engrossed in a search of the genealogy of the Brett family, digging up all kinds of details of family members.

At Brenda’s request there will be no funeral or memorial services. After cremation her ashes will be interred with her parents at St. Andrew/St. James Cemetery, Orillia.

Online memories and condolences may be made at www.peacefultransition.ca