Susan Evangeline Ens

Mrs. Ens (mom), I have only had the pleasure of knowing you for a very short time, but in those short times, I have enjoyed your visits and sweet smile. During the last days I have cherished the time with you, holding your hand and talking to you about your colorful nails while we both smile at each other. I wish I had more time to get to know you, but we will see each other in the after life. God be with you. I Love you dearly.

Jim & Family.
Susan you will be missed.
I had the pleasure of meeting Susan in 2008. It all started with an invite down for an afternoon chat. Who knew that would turn into an almost daily visit for 9 years. Susan shared her love of Family, travels and her lives journey. We shared some laughter, tears and maybe even some wine- I’ll never tell.
RIP Dear Friend.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Sending thoughts of peace and courage your way.

My sister, Susan, has always been such an important part of my life. As children we were inseparable playmates. When we grew up and had our own families we loved to visit back and forth and celebrate holidays together.
In later years, especially during Covid, we became staunch phone chat buddies, crossword puzzle buddies, and prayer partners during the tough times. Can’t believe our friendship here on earth has come to an end. I do have lots of great memories, though, especially of the lovely person Susan was, her kindness, generosity, sense of fun, and good nature.
Good night sweet sister. I love you from the bottom of my heart. I will miss you deeply.

My favorite memories of Susan took place many years ago at the cottage in Muskoka, swimming and fishing, talking and laughing, as teenagers sitting on the swing at the road and watching for friends to pass by. Although she was older than I, she always had time for me. Her beautiful smile and her kindness will never be forgotten.

Mom I am going to miss you so much.
You will always be in my thoughts and dreams.
I love you so much , you will always be in my heart.
Jimmy ❤️❤️❤️

I put this up on Facebook the other day, in memory of Susan. There were originally five photos attached — now only one, of Susan and Annabel, but you get the gist from the descriptions.

I rarely post anything these days, but did want to pay a brief tribute to my oldest sister, Susan, who died a couple of days ago in Barrie, Ontario. She was eccentric at least to the degree that she never used either a computer or a cell phone, and consequently never circulated any photos of herself online, meaning that the only ones handy in my computer that I can share are snapshots from our childhood, sent to me recently by my other sister, Ann. I’ve included a few of them below and I’ll get to them; but first I wanted to say that Susan was one of the kindest, least judgemental, most forgiving and inclusive people I’ve ever known — completely unassuming, generous, affectionate. I remember that at Cornwall Collegiate, where my sisters and I went to high school, Susan as much as anybody in that huge place, with its 1,400 or more students, was always happy to extend herself and her goodwill to, say, newcomers from various parts of the world, or kids who somehow found themselves on the fringes of the collegiate culture. She spent her working life in nursing; passionately loved her kids and grandkids, and her husband Jim. Loved animals, all animals. She wasn’t an avid reader, not like Jim, and we never spoke much about my own work in writing; so I was quite moved one day toward the end of her life when she told me that over the years she had read all my books and stories, had done so quietly and had never told me, and that she kept at least some of them on a little shelf, together, in her bedroom. For a lot of reasons this caught me emotionally. And so of course did the news of her death the other day, except in a much deeper and harder way. We’d followed our own paths for decades, sometimes without much contact. But had remained tied by our years together as kids, then teenagers, and into our twenties — years that, obviously, were always still somewhere down there inside us.
One of the photos here is of Susan holding me when I was tiny, probably in Toronto (a photo I had never seen until the other day); and of Susan with our sister Annabel, I think maybe on a farm where we lived for a while near Algonquin Park (Susan has the kitty and Annabel a doll — Annabel’s dolls had good names; there was one called Afairka, her version of Africa, and there was Northa, whose full name was “Northa Merica.” I was told once by my mother that during the war Susan had founded a club, of which she and my mother were the only members, called Dolls are Real. Two of my favourite Susan stories are (1) that when she was maybe three my Grandma Wilkins taught her a little bit about the sun; and the next morning Susan, who had forgotten a few details, called to her from the window, “Hey, Grandma, that round thing’s up there again!” … and (2) that when my mother noticed Susan was chewing gum one day on Queen Street in downtown Toronto and asked where she got it, Susan said, “Off my shoe.”) The stories don’t tell even a fragment of the tale; there were many of them. Meanwhile, the third pic is Susan with our mother, Norma (Scholey) Wilkins; and the fourth and fifth are of Susan at maybe 18 months, and as a 10-or-11-year-old, I think in her Girl Guide uniform, although you can’t really see it. Anyway, we loved her; she brought a lot of good, a lot of love to the world, and she’s gone now, and we’ll always remember her.

With love also from Matt, Georgia and Eden

Susan as the first person to welcome us to Barrie and was a good friend while we were part of the local police family! She will always have a special place in the hearts of my family!
Victoria Bradford

Our deepest sympathies My oldest and dearest friend from the old days on Daphne Cres We had so many good laughs as neighbours I will miss your Christmas card every year Love to Jim and Jimmy and John Rae and Phyllis Cook

Mom… it’s taken me a while to compose myself enough to be able to thank you for the last 30y to get to know my birth mother it’s been an honour to be accepted and made to feel like I belong with both my mothers, you were a great influence on me in our time together always could tell you anything, and your wisdom you shared with me.
Your grand children Eric & Rachel as I will miss you so much
Till we meet again

We were saddened to hear of Susan’s passing. I have many happy memories of our childhood/teenage life, and into our 20s when she met Jim while living in Toronto. I was thrilled to be a part of their wedding as her maid of honour. Susan was always up for visits and we had good times together at the cottage, St. Catharines and Barrie. We moved out West in the early 80s and unfortunately our visits were very few but Susan’s Christmas card and letter was always the first to arrive which kept us in touch.
We know how much she will be missed by her family and friends. Our deepest sympathies with love and caring to Jim, Jimmy, John, Kimberly and all extended family. Sincerely, Ginny and Richard

Jimmy and John. Thinking of you and wishing you moments of peace and comfort.