Lesley Jeanette Graff

My precious mother Lesley Jeanette Graff passed away Monday September 5^th 2022. 62 years young and beautiful she passed away peacefully in her sleep after suffering a hard battle with COPD (nobody should go through this ever) she is now at peace breathing freely and dancing, walking, singing as loud as her lungs can go and doing all the things she loved to do. She’s with her mom Jean Jolley, watching, protecting, loving many forever to come ❤️

Loved by so many, her daughter Crystal Jean Mary Graff (Devon Loshaw), Crystal’s Father Robert Eric Graff, her mother Jean Jolley, her father Win, her aunt Mary, cousin Wayne Turriff, boyfriend and best friend of many years John Horne, step children since wee ones Elizabeth Horne and Johnny Horne and many many best friends who were more family than friends.

She was a huge inspiration to many – her laugh was a laugh nobody else had, it immediately made you smile and giggle. Her blue eyes lit up a room and shined like a diamond, her hugs felt so warm and her kisses were so cheeky. She had a passion for baseball which she played for years. To watching the local hockey teams play and cheering as loud as she possibly could, always up for fun. Her love for crafts was huge, she taught kids crafts for the children that didn’t have much for years on end. Every Tuesday night was popcorn, crafts and snacks, it brought such joy to everybody. She also did folk art painting and wood working; she could turn sawdust into a masterpiece. She was a hairstylist by career she definitely had an eye for funky hair styles and became a personal hairdresser to many.

She was a huge fan of camping and the outdoors, from finding kindling with her daughter, to roasting marshmallows and making dinner by the fire. Lesley loved music, she had a love for Michael Bolton (When a Man Loves a Women), CCR, Alan Jackson, any music that would make her want to slow dance or boogie to.  She loved to shuffle and sing. Lesley played the violin in her younger days, and enjoyed acoustic guitar very much.

Lesley was the strongest women with the kindest heart. Her strength came from loosing her family at a young age, having to grow up very fast in the busy city, to creating a family of her own. Nothing scared her or brought her down, independent was Lesley, she fought for so many years with her only Daughter Crystal always making sure she was okay among many others.

Lesley had a huge love for Christmas, it just brightened her right up in any circumstance. The dinner making, the decorating, her tree (especially her angel tree topper), taking all the money she had to make sure everybody had gifts (god bless her), to the cinnamon sticks and potpourri, she did it all. She would even bring out handmade gifts in a wooden wagon she had made. Lesley loved to cook, bake and come up with different meals all the time for everybody. Her specialties were Yorkshire pudding, Shepherds pie and roast beef dinners. She had a sweet tooth to say the least, she would make amazing pies, shortbread cookies and Naomi bars. Even when she was sick, she would always call her daughter and tell her “next time I see you we will scuff something up. I’ve been watching my cooking show and have so many new ideas we can do when I’m feeling better sweetie”. Even if it was 2 am Lesley always had new ideas as though her brain produced new ideas every second.

MOM

“No mother and daughter should live apart, ever. No matter the distance, but you’re not gone, it’s I’ll see you with my arms wide open momma until we are together again. I love you today, tomorrow and forever”

You were so sick, in so much pain, but I know you were afraid to die. I hope you have found some comfort up there. Even to this day I can’t imagine my whole life without you, but you never wanted me upset or sad. I’m okay mom, I promise, I look up at the sky and talk to you. I miss your voice everyday on the phone, 10 voicemails later “it’s your mama call me back”. I miss the visits, ordering pizza and wings, gosh you loved wings, to all the dancing we did together. I hope you can hear me, I love you mom and I miss you. Shine bright like you do, you beautiful soul. I’m so proud to say I’m your daughter and twin.”❤️

LESLEY

“I'm so honored that you came into my life.

We had so much fun we laughed, we cried we told each other our deepest secrets, we sang, we danced, we drank our brewskies, our campfires and your cooking.

Always doing your crafts, our late-night chats and sleepovers, you were like a sister to me. You were always there for me; I miss you buddy. I just want to hug you and tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.

Thankyou for being my friend. I love you Lester I'll keep you in my heart”.

Luv Laurie Robertson xo