Obituary of Nancy Postons

(REVISED) Our family is sad to announce the end of a life well-lived. Two days shy of her 90th birthday, Nancy Postons died on December 1, 2017 at London Health Sciences Centre. She leaves behind her loving husband, Arthur, of 64 years; children John (Cynthia), Mike (Mallu), Leslie, and Craig (Caroline); grandchildren Mark (Cassandra), Sheila (John), Anna, Nancy (Wesley), Jamie (Rachel), Jonas (Cori), Emma, Henry, Julia, Alexandra, and a new great-grandson, Alex Josias Ferreras Stewart, who arrived on Sunday, December 10th, 2017! (Farewells and new beginnings...) Nancy was born in Toronto in 1927, the daughter of Florence and Frank Spring, and sister to Fred and Delphine, both deceased. In 1953, our Dad, a young electrical engineer from England’s Midlands somehow swept Nancy off her feet, and they went on to a lifetime together in Hamilton and London. Although their lives were devoted to all things “home,” Mom and Dad enjoyed travelling both near and far: from regular cross-country skiing trips to the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont and the annual rite of walking the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine to seeing Mike and Mallu married in Finland and even taking the Trans-Siberian Railway all the way from Beijing to Moscow. But Mom’s real roots (and heart) were as a caregiver. She was the Gold Medalist in her nursing training at Peterborough Civic Hospital, later working for years as a registered nurse at Komoka Nursing Home. She gave countless hours, in retirement, to gently holding hands as a palliative care volunteer. And her sense of community extended far beyond healthcare. A strong person of faith, Mom was a choir member at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church for 50 years, never missing a practice. She’s also remembered by her many friends and neighbours in the Queen Anne Circle community, where she spent most of her life. Perhaps the best indicators of her sense of care and community were her 20 consecutive annual trips with Jamaica Self-Help, helping the poor and destitute at a health clinic in one of Kingston, Jamaica’s worst slums. Her relationships there became deeply rooted extended family. The tiny pleasures in life were important to Mom, too. ‘Puttering’ in her kitchen. Theatre trips to Toronto. A game of Scrabble, which she usually won. The soft touch of her cat, Bertie, nestled on her lap. Neil Diamond on the CD player. Her weekly bridge group. Knitting a simple dish cloth (many times!). Home-made birthday cards. Sitting in the sun on the patio with a half-glass of lemonade. Preparing her annual basket of $5 gifts to pass out to us kids and grandkids after every Christmas dinner. These small touches defined Mom and will be how we most remember her. Special thanks to Dianna and Gynet for their trusted, loving care and attention in Mom’s final months at home. Visitation at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London on Friday, December 15 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Friends are invited to a celebration of Nancy‘s life at ST. AIDAN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 1246 Oxford Street West, London on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. Visitation at the church at 9:30 a.m. Luncheon reception immediately following. Cremation has taken place. Memorial donations gladly accepted to London Health Sciences Foundation or to a charity of your choice.