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GERALDINE (GERRY) MAYES
Geraldine Frances Mayes (née McDonald) passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on May 31, 2026, at Riverview Health Centre.
She was predeceased by her parents, Wells and Ethel McDonald, her siblings Beth Anderson and Jim McDonald, and her husband Hubert (Bert) Mayes.
She will be greatly missed by her children, Valerie, Alison and Brian (Alison Marshall); grandchildren Nicole and Andrea Burisch, Graham (Selena) Mayes and Wells and Ben Mayes; great-grandchildren Gabe and Jane Zimmerman; and niece Susan Anderson.
Gerry was born in Toronto on April 13, 1929, and grew up in the small town of King City, Ont. A petite redhead, she was the top student in her class throughout her school years. She won a scholarship to the University of Toronto and in 1951 completed an honours degree in psychology.
Her love of small children then led her to earn a graduate diploma at U of T’s Institute of Child Study. A classmate there from Manitoba, Maryann (Waldon) Peterson, encouraged her to move to Winnipeg for a day-nursery job in 1953.
The following year, while singing in a church choir, Gerry met baritone Bert Mayes, a CBC radio announcer. They married in 1956 and moved with CBC to Edmonton. Returning to Winnipeg in 1960, they raised their children, initially in Windsor Park, then in St. Vital, in a cultured home full of books and music.
Gerry always believed in staying busy, from playing the piano to sewing many of her own and her children’s clothes. After Bert changed careers and became a French professor, she gamely organized the family to spend 1967-68 in Quebec City to facilitate his doctoral studies.
From the mid-1960s to 1986, hundreds of Winnipeggers had “Mrs. Mayes” as their calm, kind and nurturing kindergarten teacher, primarily in St. Vital at Hastings School and Dr. D.W. Penner School. Throughout her son Brian’s years of going door-to-door in St. Vital as a candidate for city council, he has heard many times, “If you’re Mrs. Mayes’s son, you’ve got my vote.”
In the mid-1970s, Gerry discovered her passion for Scottish country dancing. This hobby brought her cherished friendships and a deeper appreciation for her Scottish heritage. In 1984, she was part of a group that danced for Queen Elizabeth in a multicultural performance.
She qualified as a teacher with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and led classes for 19 years. “We will miss Gerry’s innate charm, wit and graciousness,” a dancer said about her when she retired from teaching. At her 80th birthday party she was still “stepping gaily” to jigs and reels.
In retirement, Gerry enjoyed extensive travel with Bert or with friends to destinations such as Scotland, Australia and Europe. Happy memories were made in visits to her sister Beth’s cottage in Ontario.
She returned to choral singing, churned out sweaters as a skilled knitter, and was an active volunteer. But her greatest joy came from being a grandmother. She read to her grandchildren, played and sang with them, encouraged their creativity and made them feel truly special and loved.
To quote one of her favourite children’s books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: “We are all a great deal luckier than we realize.”
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Marj Sawatsky, Vienna Prudhomme, Barb Friesen and Tannis Charles for spending time with Gerry during her difficult final years.
Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Glen Lawn Funeral Home, 455 Lagimodière Blvd. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gerry’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 20, 2026
