Obituary of Mary Jane Gordon

Passed away peacefully at Specialty Care Case Manor with family by her side on Saturday, December 18, 2010, Mary Jane Gordon (née Read) at the age of 71. Beloved wife of William Macon Gordon of Bobcaygeon.  Mother of Kristy Ann and Kari Elizabeth and her husband Warren Gray MacLeod.  Nana to Skye Cassan and Iona Elizabeth MacLeod.  Sister of Marie McAuley and Fredrick Wayne Read.  She will be missed by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins.  Mary Jane was a proud “Bobcaygeon Girl”.  Daughter of the late Kenneth Sheffield Read and Gladys Hazel Read (née Pedwell), Mary Jane grew up an active member of the Bobcaygeon community.  She attended elementary school in Bobcaygeon, and Ontario Ladies College in Whitby.  She graduated from Peterborough’s Ontario Teacher’s College.  Her first teaching assignment took place at Scarborough’s Ionview Public School.  In 1960, after marrying her sweetheart she took a teaching position at SS#3 Emily.  The culture shock was staggering.  She went from a 1959 state-of-the art city school to a “Pail-a-day” one room schoolhouse without running water, and a wood burning stove.  She used to love telling stories of the kids bringing their potatoes with them and roasting them all morning for their lunch.  Mary Jane went on to teach at Bobcaygeon Public School.  She took time off to raise a family and help her husband at Gordon Yacht Harbour where she ran MJ’s Boutique selling nautical jewellery.  Mary Jane went back to teaching at BPS in 1984 where she taught Music and Science until her retirement in 1998.  Mary Jane’s passion was teaching.  She especially enjoyed running the tuck shop at BPS.  Mary Jane and Bill loved to travel, and especially loved to plan a trip, pack up the car and head out on another adventure.  The greatest joy in Mary Jane’s life was the birth of her beloved granddaughters, twins Skye and Iona. She will be missed by many close friends and family members.  Funeral to be held at Knox Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 3 p.m. Donations would be gratefully received by the Mary Jane Gordon Music Memorial Award at Bobcaygeon Public School.  Messages of condolence and donations may be placed at www.monkfuneralhome.com Donations for Mary Jane Gordon Music Memorial Award at Bobcaygeon Public School may be sent in care of Monk Funeral Home. PO Box 520 Bobcaygeon, Ontario K0M 1A0