Aileen Jones

ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS

In Loving Memory of the ever cheerful: AILEEN LILIETH JONES

Weds, September 6, 1967 to Sat, June 13, 2020

Aileen Lilieth Jones was an island girl in every sense imaginable. Warm and bright like the sunshine, sweet like the summer fruit, strong like the towering mountains and striking like a tropical flower. Her life touched so many in unforgettable ways, and though her blazing sun has now fallen below the horizon, her memory will live on in all of our hearts.

Aileen was born on the island of Jamaica on Sept 6 1967, the only child for mom Cavell Clarke (nee Thomas) (Na Na) and dad Leroy Jones (Jonesey), who predeceased her. Even as a young child Aileen had an outsize impact on her family, impressing them with her keen sense of observation and quick wit. Her mother, grandmother Gwendolyn Thomas( Ms Mable), great grandmother Priscilla Davis (Mama) and her many aunts and uncles were always amused at how quickly Aileen was able to copy their behavior, while adding her own little flair. One day she got the brilliant idea, to substitute curry powder for pumpkins in the soup she was making for her mom. In Aileen's little mind, as long as the soup had the perfect yellow color nothing else mattered!

Aileen went to kindergarten, primary and high school in Jamaica. At 25 years old, she welcomed the birth of her son Rojel Whyte on Oct 25, 1992. Shortly after this Aileen migrated from Jamaica to Canada to join her mother. The Canadian weather was certainly a shock, but even the most bitter midwinter cold could not quench the fire of Aileen's spirit. With her mom’s unwavering support she quickly adjusted to life in Toronto. While here, she attended the Academy Of Learning, focusing on computer science. She met and quickly fell in love with Junior Hines and together they welcomed their baby girl Shaniece Hines on September 1, 1995. They married on July 24, 1999.

While she loved her adopted homeland of Canada, Aileen was Jamaican to the core! Aileen knew the season for every imaginable fruit in Jamaica, and could construct a calendar of Jamaican fruits from January right back to December. This helped her to time her visits to the island so that her vacation coincided perfectly with the june plum season or the jackfruit season. Her luggage on her return to Canada always had enough Jamaican food to stock a small green grocer. On occasions when friends or family would travel from Jamaica to Toronto she always tried to reserve a space in their suitcases for her precious cargo of in-season fruits.

She was always so cheerful, she loved to make an entrance, she loved to look fabulous. She had the strongest personality imaginable and spoke her mind boldly and clearly, often to the dismay of her family and friends. But, like she always said in her Jamaican dialect, “Mi mouth a mi biggest strength.” She was very witty and would often have her family and friends howling with laughter during conversations. It made no difference to Aileen whether she was sitting on a beach in Jamaica or lying in a hospital bed in Toronto, she knew how to put a smile on the face of her listeners. She had a deep and abiding faith in God and depended completely on Him through the ups and downs of her life.

Her effervescent personality and her determination to enjoy life often masked the reality that Aileen fought a long and brave struggle with several chronic illnesses for much of her adult life. She was ever grateful for the excellent teams of health care providers that attended to her during various hospitalizations and ongoing treatment for renal failure. Aileen has often sung the praises of the Canadian health care system which she firmly believed helped her to live through and enjoy many wonderful years of life.

After undergoing surgical procedure in May 2020, Aileen developed complications and as a result passed to her rest on Sat, June 13, 2020 exactly one year after enjoying her last fun in the sun trip to her island paradise of Jamaica. She is fondly remembered and deeply missed by her mother Cavell, two children Rojel and Shaniece, husband Junior, and a very large number of relatives and friends. The fact that she enjoyed her life to the maximum offers great comfort to those who mourn her passing. While the pain of her loss will linger long, so too will the beautiful memories of her life!

One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Sleep well Aileen. You were loved!