Obituary of Beth McDougall

Suddenly, after a brief and severe illness. Loving wife of 59 years to Bruce McDougall, fabulous mother to Janice (Gervais Goodman) of Millarville, Alberta and Craig (Lynn, nee Morrison) of Toronto, and grandmother to Kim, Blair, Erin and Grant McDougall. Beth was predeceased by her daughter Cynthia, her parents Charles and Madeline Hall (nee Little) and her sister Phyllis Henwood. Beth was a dear aunt to Rick (Vicky) Henwood, Bill (Karyn) Henwood, Diana (Michael Plitz), Susan (Ross Anderson) and Judy Ness. Born in Toronto, Beth made lifelong friends, staying close to her fellow University of Toronto Occupational Therapy classmates of 5T2, Shirley Taylor and Molly Pelton; her many tennis buddies; workmates in the Developmental Disabilities Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children; dear friends and bridge partners Pat Russell, Maggie Duff and Jim Floyd; longtime friends of Beth and Bruce's, Mary Hogarth, Deanne Leuty, Bill Calvin, Dave and Molly Pelton and fellow students at Glendon's Living and Learning in Retirement series. She was her husband's, children's and grandchildren's greatest cheerleader and provided a gracious and loving home and cottage for Bruce and the family when they visited. Beth returned to university in the 1970s, at York University Glendon campus. She transferred to the University of Calgary from 1976 to 1980, returning to Glendon to earn a degree in Psychology. Her passion for children and how they could most effectively learn was evidenced by her becoming a researcher, authoring a number of papers with her team-mates at Sick Children's Hospital, where she assessed and treated children until her retirement in 1992. Her desire to help children with developmental disabilities led her to continue caring for special needs children into her retirement. She was an award-winning bird carver, a naturalist, a painter, badminton player, tennis champion, walker, swimmer, cross country skier, knitter and habitué of the fitness centre at the Granite Club. She loved the north and passionately enjoyed her cottage in Muskoka. The family wishes to thank EMS, the critical care team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the staff at the Toronto Memory Program. Funeral service will be held at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES CHAPEL LIMITED, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) on Saturday, January 4 at 1:00 p.m. Cremation. If desired, donations made to the Alzheimer's' Society of Ontario, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, 16th Floor, Toronto M4R 1K8 would be appreciated by the family