Isabella McWilliam

Isabella (Isa) McDoll McWilliam

Born July 12, 1920 - Passed away June 2, 2020

99.9 years old. What a wonderful LONG life our mom had!
Mom, grandma, great-grandma, wife, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, friend… our mom was all of the above and then some.

It will be extremely hard for me to squash her life into a few paragraphs versus a novel but I will try to do my best. A long short story or a short long story… we shall see what happens… since I am not putting this in the newspaper and paying by the word, I will try really hard to condense it to two pages.

Mom passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 2 at the Rosewood Retirement Home in Simcoe, ON. She had spent the last 2.5 years there where she thoroughly enjoyed the food and the many new friends that she made there. The highlight of staying there was the fact that John (her son) and his wife Darcy, their boys Willy and Jessie, their grandchildren Ethan, Jasper, and Sebastian, and Darcy’s parents and family were all only 20 minutes away. They all looked after mom well for 2.5 years.

Before Simcoe, mom lived in Brampton, ON. 3 km from Anne (her daughter - me) and her grandchildren Christopher, Jonathan, and Valerie for 27 years. Although Valerie left us to attend University in the US when she was 17, she still called her grandma frequently and even stayed at her condo one year with her husband John when she came home for a week for the Canadian Team Trials (10 pin bowling). Mom was so proud of Valerie for all the years she was on Team Canada and then graduated from University with her Masters Degree. Mom, John, and Darcy, they all managed to get to Valerie’s tournaments as often as they could with us to watch her bowl. Everyone loved Grandma! and she loved them all back – all 5 of them. It was just really sad that because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Valerie and her husband John, and Oceana (Christopher’s daughter) did not get to see grandma (and great-grandma) before she passed away. It was only on Saturday that we received a call from the retirement home that mom was not well and we had only Sat, Sun, and Mon with her and she was gone – quick! Every time we asked her if she hurt, she said “NO” so at least wethink she didn’t suffer too much which was a blessing for her.

Mom made it all the way to 95 years old before she showed any signs of Alzheimer’s. She survived breast cancer when she was 78. She was a tough little lady in a small package and drove dad’s big Buick around until she was 80 years old. She still had legs that worked well for her and would dance around her living room every chance she got. When she was 76, she actually went with me to Line-Dancing classes every week for a session (nobody could believe she was that old!). I think one of her favourite sayings was “You are only as old as you feel!” That is what kept her going – her drive, absolute kind heart, and passion for helping out wherever she could. She did not want to live to see 100 years old – she did not want the attention and the hype that went with it. She was always saying “I don’t know what I did to the Good Lord to make me stay here this long…“ she was serious and I would laugh and say “well mom, it must have been a whole lot of somethings to have outlived dad by almost 20 years…”. She was also always saying that there wouldn’t be anyone left to come to her funeral. Little did she know that that would be the case but not because they had all passed first, but because of the pandemic.

Mom loved to travel! You mention vacation and her bags were packed before you could blink.Mom loved Darcy – Mom said ‘trip’ and Darcy’s bags were packed, Darcy said ‘trip’ and mom’s bags were packed! Her last big trip was her 90th birthday when John and Darcy went with her to England to visit her brother Samuel Oliver. Uncle Sam will miss her phone calls too when we used to 3-way call with mom, Uncle Sam, and I. The first thing discussed every call was “How’s the food?” We actually did a lot of 3-way calling when mom went to the retirement home: Valerie, Uncle Sam, and Auntie Sheila Taylor. Although mom didn’t get to talk to the rest of them, was always asking if I’d heard from Lesley (niece in Scotland) and Robin (nephew in England) and Louisa (great niece in Australia). Every night when I would call her, the first thing on her mind was if there was any news about anyone? She was so proud of her nephew Robin. Our first Doctor in the family! Then there was the vacation on the Mediterranean when she was almost 86 years old. Mom, John, Darcy, and I – a week in Paris and Barcelona, a week on a cruise and another few days in Barcelona then mom and I went to England to Uncle Sam’s for a week before we came home.

Before dad passed away suddenly in 2001, they had been to Hawaii, Florida, England, all over the States and Canada. Mom went to Australia and New Zealand with her 2 OES friends when she was the Grand Representative to Australia in Canada with the Order of the Eastern Star. She made many more new friends while she was there. When she was 66, she decided she wanted to see her brother and sisters… 2 weeks in Scotland with Aunt Agnes, 2 weeks in South Africa with Aunt Jessie, and back to England for 2 weeks with Uncle Sam and my dad arrived unexpectedly to surprise her. Before my grandma passed away, I remember mom tried to visit her mom and sister in Scotland every couple of years. My mom and dad were a godsend to me by looking after my 3 children so that I could work and didn’t have to hire a babysitter after she retired from Prudential Insurance Co. where she had worked for 15 years.

Mom was a Life Member with the Order of the Eastern Star Giffnock Chapter # 374 in Scotland and belonged to Mount Dennis Chapter # 207 in Weston, ON before they folded. She was a Past Matron twice, received her 50 year pin and loved everything they accomplished and stood for. She was always running out somewhere to help raise money for some worthy cause. She would make (sew) her long dresses, knit all kinds of hats, mittens, slippers, scarves, baby clothes, etc. for the kids and all the bazaars and fund-raisers. We would go out visiting other OES Chapters and some weeks we would be out almost every night and still have to get up to go to work in the morning. She especially liked to visit my Aunt Isa (her oldest and dearest friend from back home in Scotland) and Elizabeth (her daughter) at their Chapter in Guelph. She always had an abundance of energy right up until a few days before she passed away. Just a few weeks ago, mom told me on the phone at dinnertime that they gave her “heck” at the home because they caught her “running around” with her wheely walker when she was supposed to stay in her room because of the pandemic. OOPS! She had Alzheimer’s, how was she supposed to remember that? 10 minutes later, she didn’t remember it so that was good. She didn’t like getting in trouble for anything. Everyone loved her!

Growing up with mom, we were always singing and dancing. She took us to Sunday School every week while she attended the Church service. She knew every hymn and every Christmas carol. When we all moved to Brampton in 1989, then Valerie was born, that was when we joined North Bramalea United Church and mom had many more friends there as well when she used to go to their luncheons and teas. Reverend Jamie did a fabulous job of the funeral service. It was short and sweet – just like mom! With her 3 favourite songs/hymns it truly was a lovely service. Thank you, Jamie.

Mom loved to bake. Growing up we always had cookies, cakes, pies, and we always had dessert. She baked right up until the arthritis in her hands stopped her from baking and knitting. We had a cottage (fairly large 3 bedroom house) that we spent every weekend at for 16 years. Looking back through 66 years, I don’t think mom ever sat down! There are an abundance of memories that we will never forget. She loved pictures – as long as you weren’t asking her to be in them.

Mom did not want to live to see 100 years old – she didn’t (99.9). Mom knew there would be no one left to be at her funeral service – she was right again – there wasn’t, but not because they had all passed away, but because of the pandemic. Mom did not want a gathering (with food) after her funeral service, she wanted all of us to go out for dinner afterwards instead. Right again – we could not have a gathering after the service due to the pandemic. Mom would have had a great laugh if I could have told her what we did do though… Christopher, Jonathan, and I went to Dairy Queen for ice cream cones in her honour and had a tail-gate party in the parking lot like we had done many times before with Grandma because she loved ice cream. What we will do though mom, is we will all go out for dinner when we put your urn to rest beside dad’s urn (after the pandemic is over).There is only ONE thing that I will NOT miss about you… chasing after you in the malls. Those short legs went a mile a minute and to keep up with you was impossible. Right up until the last few days you were “running around” with your wheely walker and the last time we saw you the day of the lockdown, you and Jonathan left me behind when we walked around the retirement home to have a visit with you.

In closing, mom, I have lost my best friend but my loss is my dad’s gain (to quote my cousin Lesley). Dad, your sisters, your best friend Aunt Isa, and your many manyfriendsand family that have gone before you,they will all look after you in heaven(you looked after everyone your whole life, let them look after you now)... Rest in Peace Mom, you have had a very long, good, and fulfilling life. Now is the time you take a well-deserved break. You have been ‘on-the-go’ your whole life, hardly ever sat down, and didn’t even make it to a nursing home for them to look after you. You influenced all of our lives in a massive and good way. Your truths, values, and honesty will go a long way and last forever in our hearts and souls. You taught all of us well mom and rest assured you will never be forgotten by any of us or anyone that knew you.This is not our mom’s life in a nutshell, I could probably write a book sharing all the memories…

We all loved you dearly mom and will miss you dreadfully…

Keep singing, dancing, and laughing in Heaven!!