JOY ANGELA GRANT (BEDSON)

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JOY ANGELA GRANT (BEDSON) September 21, 1929 - January 9, 2006 Joy was born in Winnipeg and educated at Rupertsland Ladies College and Bishop Strachan School in Toronto. Joy's love of horses led her to leave Canada to join the Thoroughbred Record where she became a syndicated horseracing journalist and pedigree-specialist in Lexington, KY. E.P. Taylor enticed her back to Canada where she joined his National Stud Farm in Oshawa. While there she met and married the love of her life, Dr. Guthrie Grant in 1951. In the 1970s Joy worked with the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Association and later assisted with the bloodstock catalogues with Canadian Yearling Sales. Joy was the first woman appointed to Ontario's Racing Commission. Manitoba remained a part of her life, her annual pilgrimage to Victoria Beach for the warm companionship of summer friends and the glorious sunsets over the lake were very special to her. Deerhounds were a central focus for Joy in later years. Joy and Guthrie travelled the continent for many years accompanied by their various deerhound companions. Joy's skills and energies in planning and volunteer work were well known. Her passions included a variety of sight hound and 'doggy' activities, church, politics, and her love of a good argument, she lived a full life (and yes, she wore purple!). Survived by her four children, Iain (Heather, Alasdair and David), Jane (Alexander, Fraser and Sarah), Gail and Donald (Marsha, Rachel, Bekah and Samuel). In addition, she will be missed by her beloved deerhounds. The family offers its sincere appreciation for the excellent care offered by the medical and nursing staff at the Lakeridge Health Centre Oshawa the Brooklin Medical Centre and the support of her many friends. A memorial gathering will take place at the Brooklin Memorial Chapel, Baldwin St. on Friday, January 13, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; a High Requiem Mass will be held in celebration of her life at St. Thomas Anglican Church in Brooklin, ON, 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 14. A reception will follow at the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made, in Joy's memory to the St. Thomas' Anglican Church, Brooklin, The Mission to Seafarers or the Canadian Cancer Society.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 12, 2006