JEAN MARY SHEPHARD

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

JEAN MARY SHEPHARD Seated at a picnic bench overlooking a beautiful, calm lake in the Whiteshell, surrounded by majestic trees... a sunset rich in colour and texture, canoeists gliding by, the familiar call of a loon... take a deep breath...relax. It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Jean Mary Shephard, lifelong soul-mate of Alfred Henry Shephard; caring mother and friend to Jeannette and Suzanne, and exceptional person to those who knew and loved her. Jean Mary was bright of mind and spirit, active and full of life. She had a sharp, scientific mind and a love of learning. She was open-minded, well-considered and analytical, and her unique, refreshing sense of humour and her witty turn of phrase gave colour to all aspects of her life. She loved a good meal in good company with stimulating conversation, and was an excellent cook and hostess herself. Jean Mary was an artistic, caring, compassionate, sensitive soul. She was young in attitude with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm, and an appreciation of beauty in all its forms, in all aspects of life. She was sensitive to the feelings of others and honored conventions as a means of showing respect; she was at the same time, independent-minded and unconventional in many of the things she did in her own life. She was unselfish in her devotion to her family and friends. Our mother was a real trooper. She met the varied challenges presented to her in life with energy, creativity and enthusiasm, and we respect her very much for that. Jean Mary Nicholson was born in England on May 27, 1923. She attended Queen Anne's Cavesham where her friends fondly called her Homi , short for Homicidal Maniac, because she used to climb out a high window onto the roof of the school and sit there, admiring the view. At age 17, when she had completed her formal schooling, she wanted to work in a hospital, but her father suggested that the safest place for her to be during the war was the Armed Forces, so she joined the war effort as part of the WAAF. This was just as well, as one entire wing of that hospital was destroyed in the bombing. Many of the stories she told were from her time in the WAAF. Radar was in its infancy at that point, and she was the first female radar technician; she installed radar in Mosquitos and flew with the pilots to test changes in the radar configuration. She had a boyfriend who was a Lancaster pilot and although women weren't allowed to go on bombing raids, she managed to get a parachute and he snuck her onto the plane; the navigator discovered her and literally threw her out... J for Johnny never returned. She also debriefed pilots on their return from missions. One story she related was the time she woke up and looked out her window to see a bomb hanging from a parachute which had got hung up in the tree outside her window, and was swinging back and forth in the breeze! Her tour of duty included a tour in Egypt during which she trained Turkish soldiers. She also was involved in some strategic information gathering and dissemination for MI5 in England. One positive thing she used to say about the war was that it broke down the class system in England because everyone was working toward the same goal; unfortunately this didn't last. She did a degree in math and physics after the war, and then worked in various hospitals in the field of EEG. One of her bosses was the son-in-law of the then Prime Minister. One time she was out at the Prime Minister's summer home and his radio was not working. Since she was skilled at working with electronics, he asked her to fix it. She blew it up (by mistake)! After this she got a Fulbright Scholarship and moved to Iowa to do pioneering EEG research. She found this environment stimulating and lived a very active life there. She and Alf saw each other across the room at a party arranged specifically for them to meet; she relates that they fell in love instantly. She moved to Toronto, where he had been offered a teaching position, to be with him. Shortly thereafter they had children and embarked on their family life while she actively supported Alf in his career. We have wonderful memories of the parties she hosted, and of helping her prepare for them. We have very fond memories of the varied and fun activities that she planned for us during this time, such as finger painting, sitting on the special easels that she had made for us, dressing up from the dress-up box, theatre excursions, family cross-country camping trips and outings, as well as forays into foreign countries (to name a few). Jean enjoyed and was talented with design. Among many other things, she produced many striking and original pieces, including 2-D and 3-D works of fibre art based on mathematical principles. She also taught fibre arts and co-authored an extensive book on colour and design. We miss her expressive face - caring and sweet, mischievous, sentimental...We miss her ready witticisms and wise quips, either to support or to poke good-natured fun. We miss her generous support of people, whatever was needed. We miss her thoughtfulness and her wisdom. We miss her unique point of view, her amazing memory, and the way she related tales of her adventures. In fact, she had so many stories that we are planning to write a book about her life. A good friend of the family was thinking about our mother shortly after she passed away. An image suddenly came to her of her and her beloved Alf standing together, each with an arm around the other. They asked our friend to tell us that everything will be o.k. This gives us much comfort. A private celebration of her life will be held at home. We request that, in lieu of flowers, you make a contribution through Jeannette to Gifts of Hope, an initiative of the Foster Parents Plan which promotes independence and self-sustenance in some of the world's poorer communities. Jean's arrangements have been entrusted to the Family Owned Funeral Chapel of: WOJCIK'S ALL BELIEFS FAITHS FUNERAL CHAPEL CREMATORIUM 897 - 4665

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 09, 2006