Obituary of Jette Shone

 Jette Shone (née Lindegaard)

Jette Lindegaard was born in Svendborg, Denmark, the first child of Paula Amalie Hansen and Erik Carl Lindegaard. During the Great Depression and subsequent Nazi occupation, Jette and her family stayed relatively comfortable thanks to Carlsminde, the farm in Strenstrup of her grandparents Hans Andersen Hansen and Annine Hansen. Jette finished her schooling in the 1950s whilst involved with the Scouting movement before a lifelong love of adventure propelled a move to Canada via Great Britain in 1963. Jette became a landed immigrant and took on a series of jobs prior to joining the typing pool at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. There she met an up-and-coming pediatric cardiologist, John Desmond Shone, MD, himself an immigrant from Wales.

Jette and John married in 1965 and moved to Welland, Ontario, as John sought a permanent position and they had their first child, John Lindegaard Shone. Shortly thereafter, the family moved back to Toronto when John Desmond was hired at the East General Hospital and the couple’s second child, Anne, was born. They first rented a house in East York, but soon bought their home in what is now Midtown Toronto, where they welcomed their third child, Paul. The young family made annual summer pilgrimages to Denmark and Wales and began searching for a summer cottage. The trail led to Sturgeon Lake in the Kawarthas where the family came to spend idyllic summers, spectacular fall weekends, and rustic winter escapes relying on water from an outdoor hand pump.

When the children reached school age, both boys attended Upper Canada College. What began as a volunteer position for Jette there, at the Preparatory School library, became a beloved full-time job until 1999, at which time she and John retired to Bobcaygeon, Ontario, into a new house merely 12 kilometres from their cottage on Sturgeon Lake. In Bobcaygeon, Jette expanded her circle of friends to include other Danish expatriates and a vibrant book club, and she was blessed with kind next door neighbours. Her indefatigable bibliophilia led her to work at the local bookstore and volunteer at the local library. After John died in 2002, Jette indulged her love of travel with bus tours throughout North America and a memorable trip to Italy with her daughter. She began one of her most joyful chapters when she became a grandmother. Her grandchildren loved spending time at Farmor/Mormor’s cottage and at her house in Bobcaygeon.

When fully independent living became difficult for Jette, she moved to the Claremont retirement residence in her old stomping grounds of Midtown Toronto, where she enjoyed excellent assisted living and the company of peers. When the COVID 19 pandemic hit, and on the advice of her son Paul, Jette moved in with John L’s family outside Montreal for several months during the summer of 2020. Sheltering in place, she and her youngest grandchild, Christina, became fast friends.

Jette’s final years were spent under the inestimable care of the kind and attentive staff at the Salvation Army’s Meighen Manor where, once again, she brightened the lives of everyone she met. She died in her sleep during the early hours of 27 December 2024. She leaves to mourn her brother, Hans Lindegaard of Møldrup, Denmark (Anna Margrethe Berntsen), and his children, Dea Lindegaard (Jesper Thomsen) and Peter Lindegaard (Camilla Lindegaard). Her passing leaves bereaved her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren: John (Giovanna Buscemi) and Grace, Robert, and Christina; Anne (Jason Peacock) and Daniel; and Paul (Dorie Millerson) and Thomas.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Jette’s honour on Saturday, January 25, at 1:00 PM at THE HENDREN FUNERAL HOME – MONK CHAPEL, 6 Helen Street, Bobcaygeon. While Jette had a green thumb and an encyclopedic knowledge of plants, a donation to the Meighen Manor in lieu of flowers to recognize Jette and her family’s eternal gratitude for the love and support she received there. Donations can be made by calling 705-738-3222, or by visiting www.hendrenfuneralhome.com