June Veitch (Bellamy)

Peacefully, in her 100th year after a brief bout with pneumonia at the Leacock Care Centre in Orillia.

Predeceased by her beloved husband, Don, dear grandson Duncan Veitch, sister Barbara Bellamy, brother Rick Bellamy (Verna); and her father and mother, Alfred and Ruby Bellamy.

Survived by her sons Jan (Lori), Jamie (Gloria), and Timothy (Wanda), and grandson Sam Veitch.

Our Mom was a sweet, kind, loving, funny, energetic, and smart woman. In many ways she was ahead of her time.

Mom was born in Toronto on May 2, 1926, the eldest of three. Growing up in the Toronto Beaches, she enjoyed sports and activities and fondly remembered fun with the Balmy Beach Canoe Club, climbing the ice spires along Lake Ontario in winter, synchronized swimming, badminton, and high school sports at Malvern Collegiate.

As a child of the Depression, Mom had many stories about the adventures and experiences of that time, like clothes made of leftover burlap bags and enduring endless hand-me-downs from her elder cousin.

Likely because of this time and being handy like the rest of her family, Mom would fix anything rather than discarding it. We would often have to exhort her to "just throw the thing away" instead of keeping something made to work with glue, screws, tape, and string.

As a Farmerette during the Second World War with her sister Barbara, she had fun picking peaches and other crops and making lifelong friends, with whom she visited and corresponded into her 90s.

As a teen, June was proud to have worked part-time to save for her own braces and dental work. She attended trade school, although she wished to go to university, but her father opposed university education for women.

Mom enjoyed being busy and worked her whole adult life, first as a lab technician with Sherriff Foods, and, after moving with her mother, father, sister and brother to Orillia, at various manufacturers there. She ultimately taught at Georgian College and is fondly remembered by her many former students in Orillia and Barrie.

Like her father, Mom had an enduring interest in science and a love of art and painting. And, like her mother, Ruby, Mom was involved in Orillia's art community and sold many of her landscape and floral watercolours, pastels, and oil works.

Mom had her children in her forties, which was unusual for the time. We will never know why she and dad waited so long but suspect it's because they were having too much fun camping in Algonquin Park, spending summers at the family cottage on Clear Lake near Bala, and working, as mom enjoyed her vocation and her many friendships with her coworkers.

Mom was always busy and for all our childhood years, she maintained a large vegetable garden and flower beds. After retirement, she enjoyed trips with dad and friends, and after dad's death, continued to organize trips with the Washago Seniors and as a charter member of the Orillia Probus Club.

She loved animals and was always in the company of at least one dog and cat while gardening and enjoying the outdoors at her house on the Severn River. Many an injured bird, chipmunk, baby squirrel, or raccoon owed its continued existence to Mom. When she did sit down, Mom enjoyed reading, and was a volunteer at the Orillia Literacy Society.

Despite her diminutive size, June was truly a warrior and never shied away from any challenge, whether it was driving to work from Severn through unploughed roads or setting someone straight when necessary! It didn't matter what; Mom was always willing to give it a go.

In keeping with her wishes to donate her body, Mom will continue to "teach" through the body donation program at McMaster University in Hamilton.

A celebration of life will be held this spring in Orillia.