Frances Myers

18 January 1934 - 19 January 2024.

Predeceased by her brother Walter and sisters Vera and Helen, and her loving husband Ralph Alexander Myers. Beloved mother and grandmother of Jonathan and Margaret Myers and Evan, Owen and Brennan, and of Annelise and Brian Smith and Jake.

Born to Polish immigrant parents Rose and Bartholomew, Frances grew up in Thunder Bay (Fort William) with her sisters Helen and Vera and brother Walter. She recounted early memories of her parents providing meals to transients during the Depression, of troop trains filled with cheering soldiers passing through enroute embarkation for England, and of being made to sit on her left hand at school to prevent her writing with it. Her summers included time waitressing at the elegant Kakabeka Falls resort, a northern Ontario icon of the 1940s and 50s.

As a young lady, Frances set out for Toronto accompanied by her sister Vera. It was on a computer programming course at Ryerson, taken as a requirement of her early work at the Little Long Lac Gold Mine company, that Frances met Ralph Myers, who would become her husband of thirty one years. Together, they raised Annelise and Jonathan as devoted parents, ran an accounting business out of their home, and enjoyed travel and many happy summers at the family cottage they built on Horseshoe Lake. Frances was Ralph’s unswerving support and advocate as he struggled with the medical problems that were the legacy of his surviving polio as a teenager. Most importantly, they provided their children Annelise and Jonathan with the best possible example of an unconditionally loving relationship.

Frances’ eye and talent for design led to her attending courses at Sheridan College. While art never became her profession, she produced beautiful silkscreened fabric pieces and line drawings. Her sharp illustrations and clever crafts were certainly of benefit to her children, who happily passed these off as their own work for school.

After seeing Annelise and Jonathan into university, Frances worked for the Sioux Lookout Medical Outreach program at the University of Toronto. However, if anything defined Frances, it was her lifelong care for others and desire to have a positive effect.

This was expressed in her volunteerism: whether caring for residents at Providence Villa, organizing school fundraisers or cottage association summer parties, or simply in befriending and helping anyone she met who she knew was in need. While this trait was definitely grounded in her strong faith, even more, it was just who she was.

Bringing and keeping family together was another of Frances’ talents, and she maintained a lively correspondence and close contact with everyone from her nieces and nephews to her distant cousins.

Frances’ exacting standards regarding table manners, insistence on violin lessons for her children, and excruciating mandatory family photo sessions were small price to pay for having a mother who gave her time and love so generously.

Our beloved mom and grandma died the day after she turned ninety, after spending the day with her frequent companion and stalwart help Annelise, and hearing her grandsons sing her happy birthday. Her smile lit up room.

A memorial visitation for Frances will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Paul O'Connor Funeral Home, 1939 Lawrence Ave. E, Scarborough, ON M1R2Y8. A memorial mass will be held Friday, February 16, 2024 at 10 AM at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 3 Combermere Drive, North York, ON M3A 2W4.