Janet "Jenny" Munday

It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts we share the passing of Jenny Munday, 67 of Halifax, June 10, 2021 peacefully at the QEII Hospital with a small group of family and friends at her side. Nearing the end of her struggle with cancer, Jenny chose a medical assistance in dying (MAID) procedure.

Born in Toronto in 1953, Jenny was the daughter of Harvey Stephen Munday and Nora Violet (Campbell) Munday. Pre-deceased by both parents, grandparents: Joe and Alice (Rogers) Munday and Robert and Mary Elizabeth (Fitzpatrick) Campbell, sister Allison (Munday) Chaisson, ex-husband David Linkletter and cousins Joe Miller, Lise Martin and Paul Munday, Aunts Viola, Florence, Shirley and Jean, Uncle Ray and many dear friends and colleagues.

Survived by sister Lesley Fitzpatrick (Charlie Riendeau) and brother Robert (Bob) Munday (Agnes) and nieces, Kristin Louise Chaisson Bombard (John), Jennifer Tyrer Peters (Charles) and Rowan Sanford Ladon, nephews Joseph Tyrer and Andrew Chaisson (Heidi) and grand nieces and nephews Maybelle Jane and Violet Jacqueline Bombard, Astrid Allison and Gilbert Chaisson and Harvey Gordon Peters, Uncle Raymond Munday, God Father, Alf Humphreys, many cousins, colleagues and friends.

Jenny grew up in Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec. Graduated from John Rennie High School in Pointe Claire, Quebec, University of New Brunswick (with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science) and Capital Business College in Fredericton.

Jenny was a magnificent, beloved, prodigious force in Canadian theatre, as an actor, playwright, dramaturge, coach, mentor and arts administrator. Jenny performed in theatres across the country and had her numerous plays staged in the Maritimes and Ontario. As the former Artistic Director of Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (1997-2017), former Artistic Director of Mulgrave Road, Artistic Associate and Writer in Residence at TNB and at Live Bait, Crake Fellow and Crake Associate in Drama at Mount Allison University and Co-Artistic Director of the Comedy Asylum, her 30 + year career has largely been devoted to the development of new Canadian works for the Stage. She has mentored countless emerging playwrights, dramaturges, actors and administrators over the years and her generosity and talent will live on in the lives and plays she touched and influenced.

Jenny's contribution to Canadian theatre has been acknowledged with several awards: The inaugural Mallory Gilbert Award for “sustained, inspired and creative leadership in Canadian Theatre,” presented by the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and Tarragon Theatre in 2007; The Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Legacy (Special Achievement) Award for outstanding contribution to theatre in Nova Scotia in 2007; The New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence for High Achievement in the Performing Arts in 2013. She was awarded honourary life time memberships in: the Canadian Association for Theatre Research in recognition of her contribution to Canadian Theatre in May 2011, and in both Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre and Theatre Nova Scotia.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration of Jenny’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to the Actors Fund of Canada, the SPCA, Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of choice.