Ann Marie Martindale

Ann was born in Toronto, Ontario, a beloved first daughter to James and Lucie Martindale (now deceased). Their second daughter, Susan, followed 3 years later.

In the early seventies, the family moved to Thornhill, Ontario, where Ann attended St. Luke's Primary Catholic School followed by St. Robert's Catholic High School where her favourite subject was music and her chosen instrument was the clarinet. The family attended St. Luke's Parrish where Ann joined the choir and quickly discovered a passion for singing. Ann's other lifelong hobby was photography with flowers and animals being her favourite subjects.

At Seneca College, Ann pursued her Personal Support Worker diploma. She found helping others very rewarding. In her spare time, she also did volunteer work for the Epilepsy Foundation as she herself suffered from seizures during her teen years.

It wasn't long before Ann developed osteoarthritis which quickly spread to her back, hips and knees. She had to quit her job and use a walker. As the arthritis became more severe, she was confined to a bed in her apartment and relied on Personal Support Workers and Meals on Wheels. By 2014, Ann had to move to Carefree Lodge Nursing Home where she was mainly confined to a bed and reliant on heavy pain medication, an oxygen cannula and a bi-pap machine. Her zest for life and music remained strong, however, as she relied on her laptop and TV to be her window to the world. At this time, she would only leave her bed for medical appointments and the occasional concert. After a few years with little progress and several trips to the hospital, Ann began using her electric wheelchair more often. Carefree Lodge staff constantly encouraged her to improve her diet and do regular physiotherapy, which in turn improved her breathing, her energy and circulation. She still relied on an oxygen cannula, bi-pap machine and heavy meds, but there was noticeable improvement.

Ann's health and quality of life continued to improve and visits to the hospital became less and less frequent. She seized the moment and joined 2 choirs at nearby Blessed Trinity Church. Father Murphy, the other choir members and congregants welcomed Ann into their church family with open arms. In addition to singing, Ann also started to do readings during the mass. And back at Carefree Lodge, Ann joined the Residents’ Council and took an active role in trying to improve conditions for her fellow residents.

Ann has always enjoyed simple pleasures: good food, helping others and watching CSI and Blue Jays baseball, but it's music that was her one, true passion: Singing in choir, regularly attending the Toronto Symphony, watching musical performances on Youtube and attending live Chicago and Canadian Brass concerts gave her a zest for life and a reason to get up in the morning.

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to all the staff members at Carefree Lodge. You go above and beyond each and every day to improve the quality of life for your residents. Ann would NEVER have made the progress she did without you. Your cheerfulness, patience and hard work are unsurpassed. She thought of you as not just caregivers, but friends.

I'd also like to send my warm appreciation to Father Murphy and everyone at Blessed Trinity Church. Throughout Ann's life she's been teased and shunned by others for being different. It was extremely rare for anyone to befriend her and I think this hurt her more than she ever let on. You embraced her right away and made her feel like part of your church family. What an amazing gift this was in her final years!

If there's a choir in the great hereafter, they just got a new and eager member.

Rest in peace my dear sister. Keep singing loudly until we meet again.