NYMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-11 published
McKAY,
Catherine
Elizabeth (née
McEWEN)
With quiet grace and dignity, Catherine passed away on Sunday,
October 8, 2006 at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, in Burlington.
Beloved wife of the late Bev
McKAY (1978.) Dearly loved Mom of
Judy JoAnn, Jane and Bruce. Loving mother-in-law of Lind
NYMAN,
Bob KAY,
Stephen
Dowd and Jane
McKAY. Proud and adored Gran of
Jen and Kim and John
NYMAN,
Stephanie and Jodi
KAY, Kyle and
Jake DOWD and Casey and Nick
McKAY. Cherished sister of Agnus
CAMPBELL and the late John
McEWEN and sister-in-law of Gwen
McEWEN
and the late Archie
CAMPBELL. A special thank you to Doctor J.
STROME
and the nursing staff of 5 West and 5 South at Joseph Brant Hospital
for their care of Mom. Friends will be received at Dodsworth and
Brown Funeral Home, Burlington Chapel, 2241 New Street (at Drury
Lane), Burlington, (905-637-5233) on Wednesday, October 11 from
3-5 and 7-9 p.m. A Celebration of Catherine's Life will take
place on Thursday, October 12 at 11 a.m. at Port Nelson United
Church (3132 South Drive, Burlington) followed by cremation.
Donations to the Mission and Service Fund of the United Church
of Canada or the Canadian Wildlife Federation would be appreciated
by the family. Dodsworth and Brown "Burlington Chapel"
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NYMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-10-24 published
Boating accident kills Mississauga principal
Called 'respected, strong mentor' to pupils, staff, colleagues
Boat swept through gate in dam on Loon Lake, police say
By Jim WILKES,
Staff
Reporter
The popular principal of a Mississauga elementary school has
died after a weekend boating accident in cottage country.
Ontario
Provincial
Police said Deborah
MacDONALD was paddling
a 12-foot motorboat across Loon Lake, near Kearney, to meet her
husband at a public boat launch to put the boat in storage for
the winter.
But the 53-year-old woman was apparently swept down a spillway
in a concrete dam on the lake and struck her head on the dam's
edge.
"The motor wasn't working, so she was paddling it," an Ontario
Provincial Police officer said yesterday.
"Her injuries were grave," he said. "It was a tragic mishap."
Staff and students at Mississauga's Thomas Street Middle School,
where MacDONALD was principal, were mourning her death yesterday.
In a letter to parents, Jim
GRIEVE,
Peel's director of education,
called MacDONALD "an incredibly caring educator who was very
involved with the students at the school and a recognized leader
in education with 30 years of experience in the Peel board.
"She will be greatly missed."
Flags at Peel schools were at half-mast in her honour. Crisis
counsellors were also at Thomas Street Middle School to help
staff and students cope with
MacDONALD's death.
MacDONALD had also been principal at Greenbriar Senior Public
School in Brampton.
"She was a totally committed and dedicated professional," said
Judith NYMAN,
Peel's associate education director.
"At the heart of anything she's ever done… the best interests
of students were always at the forefront.
"She has been a strong mentor, not only for students and staff,
but also with colleagues, a highly respected person that people
could turn to for assistance, advice and counsel," Nyman said.
Ken MacDONALD said he found his wife slumped in the boat when
he drove around the lake to meet her on Saturday.
Police told him she likely suffered severe head injuries when
she went through an adjustable sluice gate in the dam, he said.
He said he ran up a hill to get neighbours to call police and
paramedics, then returned to the scene to give his wife aid until
they arrived.
"I certainly tried," he said.
"I did everything I possibly could."
MacDONALD was taken to the Huntsville and District Memorial Hospital
and then airlifted to Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto, where she
died Sunday.
"She has a wonderful legacy, from her beautiful children to a
vast array of people from all walks of life," Ken said. "She
enjoyed life to the fullest and was skilled at bringing people
together."
Married for 26 years to Ken, Deborah
MacDONALD also leaves daughter
Becky, who is following her footsteps at the Ontario Institute
for Studies in Education in Toronto, son Robert at Brock University
and daughter Katie at Niagara College.
A service to celebrate her life will be held at the Turner and
Porter Funeral Home, 2180 Hurontario St. in Mississauga at 11 a.m.
on Thursday.
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