Janet Marquerite Paddison (nee Turner)

Janet passed away peacefully in Hospice Simcoe on Thursday, December 19, 2024, surrounded by her family.

Janet was born in Kitchener, Ontario the daughter of Howard and Marquerite Turner who had moved from Woodstock to Kitchener in 1929. Janet’s brother Doug (deceased) was born in 1927 and sister Gwen in 1935.

Raised in Kitchener, after Janet graduated from High School her first job was as a receptionist for a local doctor.  In the spring of 1963 while holidaying in Southampton she met a young man who was then teaching in Forest. On August 31 of that year Janet married Terry Paddison and the next day they moved to Barrie where Terry was now a new teacher at North Collegiate. It wasn’t long before Janet was working as a receptionist for a local Barrie doctor. Later she assisted two other doctors who specialized in Psychiatry.  Janet’s last job was as the supervisor of a Group Home for people with special needs.

As an active volunteer in the community, she and a few friends first became involved with Canadian Mental Heath Association.  From being the president of the first Barrie CMHA tiny office on Dunlop Street, Janet rose to become the President of the Ontario Division of CMHA and served on the National Board as well. In 1994 the National Distinguished Service Award was presented to Janet in recognition of her achievements with CMHA.  As a volunteer Janet spent 45 years with that organization. 

In the early 2000s after their son Todd had died from a brain tumor, Janet and Terry became very involved in the planning and fundraising for Hospice Simcoe which opened in 2009.

Janet is survived by her sister Gwen, husband Terry, children Tracey and Tanya, her grandchildren Aniko, Seren, Nate and Jordis and great grandchildren Samson, Jack and Baker and all her beloved nieces and nephews from the Turner and Miehm clans, members of her book and bridge clubs, a host of wonderful friends from Klondike Park and Fripp Island and all of our friends and neighbours who have been so helpful over the last 3 years. With Janet’s smile, those big blue eyes, her sense of humour and caring for others, Janet managed to make everyone feel special.

Despite a long and very difficult journey for Janet she never complained and always greeted her caregivers with her radiant smile. Our family appreciate the loving and compassionate care given by Dr. Robert Tanton, Dr. Rick Irvin, our case coordinator Jennifer Fairhall, Bayshore Nurses, Saint Elizabeth Health Care PSWs and the staff and all those wonderful volunteers from Hospice House.

At the end of Janet’s stay at Hospice Simcoe she was led out on a stretcher followed by her family and two staff members singing Janet’s favourite hymn “O Holy Night” while all the Hospice staff lined the corridors as Janet passed by. 

Cremation has taken place and the Family plans to have a Celebration of Life in the spring. In lieu of flowers, our family would appreciate that a donation in Janet’s name be made to Hospice Simcoe www.hospicesimcoe.ca