It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother Peggy Russell on October 2, 2022 at the age of 92 years. Peggy recently lived independently at Allendale Station in Barrie until a few days before her death. Peggy died peacefully at Royal Victoria hospital with her daughter-in-law nurse, Susan Reilly at her side.
Peggy and her son Rick had a wonderful chat via Facetime shortly before her death, filled with love and laughter. Neither of us knew this would be our last conversation.
Peggy is re-united with Ben, her husband of 73 years at the Barrie Union Cemetery. Ben passed away on May 12, 2021, and Peggy’s daughter, Susan Edwards, also passed away recently on May 17, 2022. Peggy will be missed by her sister Dawn Kolohon, her brother Art Stubbington, her son Rick and his wife Susan Reilly, her son Jim, her grandchildren Jamie and his wife Patty, Sarah and her husband Quentin, Christine and Stephanie, her great-grandchildren Chloe and Mia, the Kolohon clan, and her many friends.
Peggy was born and raised on a farm in Goderich, Ontario and met Ben when she worked at the Clinton air force base, they married in 1947 and over the next 35 years lived on various military sites such as Clinton, Edmonton, Ottawa, Fort Churchill, Armstrong, Portage la Prairie, and Borden. On each move, Peggy refereed three squabbling children in the back seat of a car driven hundreds of miles to our new military home.
Peggy was a warm, wonderful person gifted with loads of empathy. Family and friends would tell Peggy all their troubles, Peggy would quietly listen, and people left feeling better. As a child on the farm, Peggy loved animals and often related funny stories about their personalities and antics. When friends came to play on the farm, Peggy would let them ride her horses in exchange for riding their bicycles, a win-win for everybody.
In the early years, Peggy and her sister Dawn would put together special holiday celebrations and beach vacations for the Russell and Kolohon clans, and these family get-togethers generated terrific life-long memories.
Peggy loved her family, and her family loved her. Peggy was an amazing mother always putting her children first, she made sacrifices and worked a long series of retail jobs to bring in extra money for the household, all to benefit her young children. Peggy also had a deep faith in God and was a life-long parishioner in the Anglican church.
Thank you for your love, Mom, we miss you so much.
Rosalind Gayler
Posted on: Friday, October 7, 2022Rick, Jim and family.
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write this message. Peggy was a great friend , a woman that I so loved and admired, although we lost touch over the years she was always in my thoughts… also sorry to hear of Ben and Susan…thoughts and prayers are with you all. Hugs
Rosalind Gayler
Deborah Mary Brayley
Posted on: Friday, October 7, 2022May her goodness, love and empathy be a shining example for us all to strive for. My heartful condolences to all who loved her. She has gone home to be with her Husband Ben, and her Daughter Susan.
Mark & Wendy
Posted on: Saturday, October 8, 2022Auntie Peggy, will miss your infectious laugh, your style and your unconditional love.
Rest easy.
Wendy and Mark
Colleen Hamann
Posted on: Wednesday, October 19, 2022I was so shocked to hear today about Peggy’s passing. She and Ben were such a kind, loving couple with wonderful sense of humours. I am so glad we had the opportunity to see her just a month ago at the service for Ben & Susan. It is lovely that she, Ben and Susan are now reunited. May God keep them in his arms for eternity. Our condolences to all the family.