Doris Jean Conley (née Davidson)
It’s with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear mother Jean Conley at the Sunrise of Beaconsfield, Senior Living Residence, on the morning of July 15, 2020 in her 95th year.
She leaves behind her loving children, daughter Patricia (George) Bichara and son David (Jennifer) Conley. Her much-loved grandchildren Andrea (Steve Knowles ), Michael (Nathalie Belanger), Robert (Laura Mullins), Kalynda (Chris Burke), and Marina Conley and her greatgrandchildren Ryan, Lukas, Emily, Colin, Alyssa, Tristan and Dylan. She will also be sadly missed by her niece Terry Fodor (Howie Cleary)and nephew Paul Fodor (Suzie Cleary).
Jean was predeceased by her cherished husband of 55 years Lyster C. Conley, her sisters Betty Davidson and Penny Fodor- Carpenter(Sonny) and her parents Rennison Davidson and Mary Jane (Neill).
Born in Montreal, QC, Jean lived her early years on her grandparent’s farm in Dunany, QC after contracting Typhoid Fever in the Montreal Epidemic of 1927. She returned to Park Extension to live with her parents and sister Betty and to start elementary school. Completing Grade 9 at Montreal High, she enrolled at O’Sullivan Business College Secretarial Program after which she went to work at the Ministry of War Transport during WW2. When peacetime arrived, Jean worked at Laurentian Drug & Chemical and then White Motors. Jean married the love of her life, Lyster Conley, from Lachute, QC in 1947. They moved to St. Laurent, QC in 1950 to begin raising a family, with Patricia arriving in 1951 and David in 1953.
Jean was very active in her community, participating in amateur plays at St. Marks Anglican Church and coordinating the Craft Corner which produced many mitts, toques, scarves, baby socks, etc. over the years. As Lyster was very active in the labour union movement while employed by Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal, representing the International Assn of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Jean became an executive officer of the IAMAW Women’s Auxiliary in Montreal. Jean and Lyster travelled to union conferences all over North America and were fortunate to meet John F. Kennedy in Washington, DC in 1961 at one of these conferences.
Jean loved playing the piano and as a young woman used to play at the barn dances in Louisa and Dunany, QC. This is incidentally where she met her husband to be, Lyster. She also enjoyed playing card games, Bridge and Military Whist were two of her favourites. Her sewing abilities served her very well in her early years making her own clothing and her children’s later on. She continued her knitting well into her later years knitting hats and mitts for her grandchildren and then her great grand-children.
Jean loved to work with numbers so in her 50s she enrolled in the H&R Block tax preparation course and upon completion went to work in one of their offices preparing tax returns. She was well-liked and respected for her attention to detail and for her friendly and gentle disposition.
Appointed manager of an H&R Block location, she was in her element and came home to tell us stories about the people and situations she encountered during her day.
When Lyster retired, they returned to the family cottage in Dunany and spent many summers and autumns there making renovations, visiting relatives and friends, and taking in the various regional events. They liked taking cruises, visiting such places as The Inside Passage to Alaska, the Saguenay Fjord, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon islands off Newfoundland, and the islands of the Caribbean. The vineyards of Niagara and Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo were annual excursions they enjoyed. One summer they took the Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express train from Timmins to Moosonee on James Bay.
After Lyster passed in 2002, Jean moved into Le Cambridge residence for seniors in Pointe-Claire, QC where she lived for 10 years developing several great friendships. Sadly, in 2013 she started needing more care after a serious fall and moved into Le Vivalis for a couple of years. In the autumn of 2015, Jean made her final move to the Sunrise of Beaconsfield. Her daughter Patricia and son-in-law George had moved earlier to a house in the same neighbourhood and therefore they could look in on her with frequent visits. The Sunrise became her home where she was loved and well cared for. From the time she moved in she was made to feel like one of their family.
Rest in peace, Mom, we will always remember you and your love for all of us.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in Jean’s memory to either of the following Alzheimer Society of Canada https://alzheimer.ca or Osteoarthritis/Arthritis Society https://arthritis.ca would be appreciated.
She leaves behind her loving children, daughter Patricia (George) Bichara and son David (Jennifer) Conley. Her much-loved grandchildren Andrea (Steve Knowles ), Michael (Nathalie Belanger), Robert (Laura Mullins), Kalynda (Chris Burke), and Marina Conley and her greatgrandchildren Ryan, Lukas, Emily, Colin, Alyssa, Tristan and Dylan. She will also be sadly missed by her niece Terry Fodor (Howie Cleary)and nephew Paul Fodor (Suzie Cleary).
Jean was predeceased by her cherished husband of 55 years Lyster C. Conley, her sisters Betty Davidson and Penny Fodor- Carpenter(Sonny) and her parents Rennison Davidson and Mary Jane (Neill).
Born in Montreal, QC, Jean lived her early years on her grandparent’s farm in Dunany, QC after contracting Typhoid Fever in the Montreal Epidemic of 1927. She returned to Park Extension to live with her parents and sister Betty and to start elementary school. Completing Grade 9 at Montreal High, she enrolled at O’Sullivan Business College Secretarial Program after which she went to work at the Ministry of War Transport during WW2. When peacetime arrived, Jean worked at Laurentian Drug & Chemical and then White Motors. Jean married the love of her life, Lyster Conley, from Lachute, QC in 1947. They moved to St. Laurent, QC in 1950 to begin raising a family, with Patricia arriving in 1951 and David in 1953.
Jean was very active in her community, participating in amateur plays at St. Marks Anglican Church and coordinating the Craft Corner which produced many mitts, toques, scarves, baby socks, etc. over the years. As Lyster was very active in the labour union movement while employed by Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal, representing the International Assn of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Jean became an executive officer of the IAMAW Women’s Auxiliary in Montreal. Jean and Lyster travelled to union conferences all over North America and were fortunate to meet John F. Kennedy in Washington, DC in 1961 at one of these conferences.
Jean loved playing the piano and as a young woman used to play at the barn dances in Louisa and Dunany, QC. This is incidentally where she met her husband to be, Lyster. She also enjoyed playing card games, Bridge and Military Whist were two of her favourites. Her sewing abilities served her very well in her early years making her own clothing and her children’s later on. She continued her knitting well into her later years knitting hats and mitts for her grandchildren and then her great grand-children.
Jean loved to work with numbers so in her 50s she enrolled in the H&R Block tax preparation course and upon completion went to work in one of their offices preparing tax returns. She was well-liked and respected for her attention to detail and for her friendly and gentle disposition.
Appointed manager of an H&R Block location, she was in her element and came home to tell us stories about the people and situations she encountered during her day.
When Lyster retired, they returned to the family cottage in Dunany and spent many summers and autumns there making renovations, visiting relatives and friends, and taking in the various regional events. They liked taking cruises, visiting such places as The Inside Passage to Alaska, the Saguenay Fjord, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon islands off Newfoundland, and the islands of the Caribbean. The vineyards of Niagara and Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo were annual excursions they enjoyed. One summer they took the Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express train from Timmins to Moosonee on James Bay.
After Lyster passed in 2002, Jean moved into Le Cambridge residence for seniors in Pointe-Claire, QC where she lived for 10 years developing several great friendships. Sadly, in 2013 she started needing more care after a serious fall and moved into Le Vivalis for a couple of years. In the autumn of 2015, Jean made her final move to the Sunrise of Beaconsfield. Her daughter Patricia and son-in-law George had moved earlier to a house in the same neighbourhood and therefore they could look in on her with frequent visits. The Sunrise became her home where she was loved and well cared for. From the time she moved in she was made to feel like one of their family.
Rest in peace, Mom, we will always remember you and your love for all of us.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in Jean’s memory to either of the following Alzheimer Society of Canada https://alzheimer.ca or Osteoarthritis/Arthritis Society https://arthritis.ca would be appreciated.