AVERY, Jane (Kerins) - Passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2021, at the age of 83, with her family by her side.
Jane was the beloved and loving mother of Caroline and Simon (Sharon) and adoring grandmother to Charlotte and William.
Kind, loving and free-spirited, she possessed an inspiring work ethic and remarkable courage in tackling the challenges life presented.
Jane was born in London, England, in 1937 and earned a bachelor of laws degree from the London School of Economics in 1958. Independent-minded, she was drawn to journalism and reported for the Croydon Times before landing at one of the country’s biggest newspapers in 1963.
Her career ended abruptly after she became pregnant, and a year later she moved to Toronto with her husband Bill and their baby daughter. After the birth of her son – and following two years in Brazil as part of a foreign posting for her husband – she enrolled at the University of Toronto to earn her Canadian LLB.
After a divorce and with two young children to raise, she became a tax litigator for the Department of Justice, before advancing to senior roles at Texaco Canada in the 1980s and GM Canada in the early 1990s.
A hemorrhagic stroke in 2002 upended her world, and she would spend the rest of her days in institutional care where her stubborn determination helped her exceed all medical expectations on numerous occasions.
Jane is survived by her sister, Mary, brother-in-law Ted and nephews Andrew (Sylvie), Marcus (Amy) and Daniel (Rajinder).
The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff of Belmont House in Toronto, including Dr. Bradley Birmingham, Donna Locke, Imelda Matias and especially the staff on 5 west.
A memorial will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Belmont House Foundation.
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