Margaret “Elayne” Wardell (née Church) died peacefully in her sleep on September 4, 2026, in her 81st year. This Margaret Elayne Wardell obituary honours a longtime Paris volunteer, educator and devoted family matriarch.
Family remembrance
Elayne is dearly missed by George Wardell, her husband of 59 years; her children, Glenn Wardell and Lynn Wardell Aitchison (Robert Aitchison); and her grandchildren Dustin (Stephanie), Jordan, Jacob (Ashley), Nakita (Connor), Jarrod and Clinton. She was the proud great-grandmother of Maisie, Everett, Eden, Elliot and Elias.
She is also remembered by her sister Joan Church; sisters- and brothers-in-law Jay and Carol Hoover, Shirley Cookson, Linda Silverthorne and Russ Robinson; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Elayne was the daughter of the late Leonard and Margaret Church and daughter-in-law of the late Alfred and Annie Wardell and the late Margaret Silverthorne. She was predeceased by sisters Janet Church and Linda Miedema; brothers John Church and Earl Church; sisters-in-law Lillian Robinson, Marion Kindree and Pat Jamieson; and brothers-in-law Gord Kindree, Jim Cookson, Larry Silverthorne and Joe O’Reilly.
A life of teaching and service
Originally from Jarvis, Elayne volunteered in the Paris community for more than 55 years. Her service included St. Paul’s United Church, the Paris Block Parents executive, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. With George, she belonged to Chapter 6 of the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. Their motorcycle trips brought years of companionship and adventure, and Elayne earned her own motorcycle licence so they could ride together.
An elementary teacher with the Grand Erie District School Board for more than 50 years, Elayne made discovery engaging and encouraged children to enjoy learning. She was equally energetic outside the classroom. Her interests included gardening, crafts, holiday decorating, chocolate making, preserves and pickles. For years she worked a large market garden by hand, using the proceeds to help fund a family trip to England in the mid-1980s, and she entered her preserves in Paris Fair competitions.
The family cottage in South River held a special place in Elayne’s heart. She loved spending summers there with her grandchildren, gathering wild fruit and turning it into jams. Her humour and ease in conversation helped her connect with friends and strangers alike.
Arrangements and donations
Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Elayne lived with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia during the last decade of her life. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk, Hamilton Halton.
