Mary Jane Pearson

In loving memory of Mary Jane Pearson, a truly beautiful person who will be so deeply missed. Mary Jane passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2020, with her family by her side. She was born on February 20, 1939 to Dudley and Lillian Thomas in Emo, Ontario. Mary Jane was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

She always had an open home and an open heart, making anyone who joined in, part of her family. She loved to hear “in detail” about your life, and was there to comfort you during your hardest times and celebrate your proudest moments.

Mary Jane grew up in Emo and was proud of her roots. The Emo Fair was always a highlight. She attended high school in Fort Frances, where she met the love of her life, Ross Pearson, after asking him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. She graduated from the School of Nursing at the Port Arthur General Hospital as an RN. She married Ross and moved to Glenorchy where he built their first of many homes, later moving to Fort Frances. Mary Jane stayed home to raise five children, not a small task given the early morning swim practices, paper routes, and the third street neighbourhood friends.

In later years, she took a refresher course and went back to nursing where she touched so many lives with empathy and care on the Continuing Care ward. In retirement, she loved to play cards, host gatherings with her family and friends, and volunteer in the community.

She embraced life to its fullest, taking road trips in the Southern US with Ross and Tom, spending winters in Florida and mother-daughter adventures as she checked off her bucket list. But most of all she cherished her time at the cabin, swimming with her grandchildren, entertaining on the deck and beautiful sunny days visiting friends on the pontoon boat around Rainy Lake.

Mary Jane and Ross celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the lake last summer, and even then, when the darling whistled, her heart would flutter. Their love for each other was an inspiration and every day her children and grand-children experienced the power of true love. Her words, movements and actions will continue to guide their lives and the impact of her loving hands will be with them always.

She had her whole family together for the past several weeks and spent beautiful moments with her friends sharing stories about their incredible times together. All of you contributed so much to her fulfilled life. She was always young at heart, with many adopted daughters and her tight connection to her children’s friends. Her fingerprints will never fade from the lives she touched.

A funeral service and celebration of life will follow when we can all be together.

Mary Jane was predeceased by her mother and father, Dudley and Lillian Thomas, in-laws, Eric and Inga Pearson, son, Rick Pearson, son-in-law Brian Holliday.

Left to cherish her memory is her family, husband, Ross Pearson; son Tom Pearson; daughters, Laurie Moxham, Mia Pearson, Sonja Bodnarchuk; son-in-laws Todd Moxham, Mike Bodnarchuk; grandchildren; Alyssa (Chad) Faragher, Jamie Holliday, Shelby and Jonathan Wedgbury, Brady and Emma Bodnarchuk, Great grand children; Lexie, Trenton and Remie Faragher.

In memoriam donations may be made to the Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church, 1105 Scott St. Fort Frances, ON P9A 1J7 or Riverside Foundation for Health Care, 110 Victoria Ave, Fort Frances, ON P9A 2B7 or www.riversidefoundation.ca.