TRENCHARD, Rose Prescilla - Rose Prescilla Trenchard, age 105, passed away peacefully March 6, 2020 in Toronto, surrounded by her grandchildren.
Rose’s life began in February 10, 1915 in Loverna, Saskatchewan. Rosie, as she was known as a child, was the first of five children for her parents William and Mary Jane (Jennie).
After Rosie came Duncan in 1916, Gordon in 1917, Violet in 1919 and Jean in 1931. Rosie was held back a year until Duncan was old enough to go to school, too, and during the week, they lived with her mother’s parents in town and attended a one-room schoolhouse across the street. As a point of pride, Rose would tell you that her grandfather was the town’s postmaster, a very important position in the community.
At 11, Rose made her first visit to Ontario with her father and uncle for her grandparents’ golden wedding anniversary. After Rose's family home burned down, the family moved Ontario to start over again, at first living with her father’s parents. She had to say goodbye to her mother’s parents and her beloved Aunt Gertie.
When Rose was 16, her sister Jean was born. Naturally, Rose became her mother’s right hand. When a local boy asked Rose’s father if he could marry her, her father said, “No, her mother needs her.” So at home she stayed. But Rosie, like her school teacher Aunt Gertie, was a very bright girl. She couldn’t be held back long.
After Jean turned five, Rose attended Toronto Bible College. During her time there, she worked as a nanny and housekeeper for a family in the Annex area of Toronto and sent money home to help her family. After completing college, Rose stayed on in Toronto. During the war, she worked on an assembly line at the Small Arms factory in Lakeside.
One evening, a friend invited her to dinner, at a boarding house where a handsome man named Chet stayed. Rose and Chet married in January 1943 and bought a house for $2,000 in a new subdivision in Alderwood. Rose and Chet proudly welcomed a son, Glenn, in 1946, and a daughter, Joan, in 1949.
Family was important to Rose. She was a beloved wife, and loving mother, grandmother and aunt. Somehow she and Chet saved for a trips to see his family in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, her brother Duncan’s family in Edmonton, Alberta and her parents and Aunt Gertie in Loverna, Saskatchewan, among others. After Glenn and Joan were both in school full days, Rose started working at Eaton’s. She started wrapping customers’ parcels for the mail and was promoted to a customer service position in the telephone order room.
In 1976, after more than 30 years of marriage, Rose and Chet took a happy trip across Canada in a camper van. In 1977, they celebrated Joan’s marriage to Bill. And in 1979, when Rose had the chance to take care of small children again, she retired from her job at Eaton's.
In 1981, after 38 years of marriage, Rose’s beloved and recently retired husband Chet went for an afternoon nap he didn’t wake from. Rose missed Chet dearly every day. In 1982, Rose celebrated the marriage of her son Glenn to Cathy. And in the following years, Rose enjoyed life, traveling with her longtime neighbour and friend May to many places: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Branson, Missouri to name a few, and painstakingly documenting her family history. Meanwhile, she kept in touch with her siblings and their families.
Rose doted on her grandchildren, Quaid, Rae and Kim (Glenn’s step-son and daughters) and Merriel, Miranda and Blair (Joan’s daughters and son). Grandma hosted sleepovers, organized games, and watched the kids swing and play in the sprinkler outside while she gardened. With great patience, she taught life skills, like sewing, knitting, baking and cooking. Rose always had a fresh loaf of her delicious homemade bread or a pan of muffins ready to make all of her visitors feel right at home.
As she aged, Rose was happy to have her son Glenn come to live with her. She enjoyed his company and appreciated his help immensely. She was grateful that he took care of the house and errands after she couldn’t manage. With his support, she was able to spend a total of 76 years in her home.
In the years since she lost her husband, she also lost all of her younger siblings and their spouses. As she aged, she said more and more: “It’s a great life if you don’t weaken.” More recently, Rose was saddened by the loss of her daughter Joan in 2018 and her son Glenn in 2019.
Rose is remembered fondly by her grandchildren, Merriel (Tim), Quaid (Jen), Miranda (Jeremy), Blair (Kurumi), Rae (Nate) and Kim (Levi), her great-grandchildren, Amanda and Erin (Merriel), Arden and Miles (Blair), Jude (Miranda) and Cary (Rae), and all of her nieces and nephews and their families.
Please join us to celebrate Rose’s life on Sunday March 15th at 1:00 p.m. at Jerrett Funeral Home, 1141 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6E 1B1. Memorial Gathering will begin at 12:30 p.m. until Memorial Service begins at 1:00 p.m.
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