In memory of
Laurie Susan Hicks
April 12, 1959 -
May 2, 2023
Laurie died at home on May 2, 2023 from complications arising from Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a rare neurodegenerative disorder.
She faced all the severe challenges of MSA with her usual courage, dignity, and clear-sightedness.
She was born on April 12, 1959 in Ottawa, Ontario, to her parents Kenneth and Grace Noble. She grew up in Ottawa and in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, and La Tuque, Quebec, all of which were sites of paper mills where her father was employed.
After high school, she studied business at Carleton University in Ottawa, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce. It was here she met her future husband, Timothy Hicks. They were married in 1984. After they were married, they lived in Toronto, where they raised their two sons, Evan and Connor. Her parents predeceased her but she leaves her older brother, Bruce Noble, and younger sister, Janice Taylor.
Laurie was extremely proud to be an official witness at Evan’s wedding to Kristin Speth in 2016 and even prouder of her grandson, Owen Hicks, who arrived in 2017. She was also looking forward to attending the wedding of Connor and Heather Clarke in October of this year.
Laurie was not one to sit around. She had a long career in information technology, primarily related to healthcare and sat on the boards of University Health Network (UHN), Toronto Community Care Services, and her favourite, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She loved to be part of Holland Bloorview’s amazing ability to help kids with disabilities achieve meaningful objectives.
You might think that a career, raising a family, and directorships would leave Laurie with little time for anything else. Far from it. Laurie loved family events and creating homemade gifts from her various hobbies. Her sewing skills were an inspiration to her like-minded friends and her huge inventory of fabrics was legendary. Equally legendary was Laurie’s baking prowess and she became known as “the cookie lady” for always providing freshly baked treats after Connor’s hockey games.
The number of caregivers who came into her life as her MSA progressed are too numerous to mention, but Rhea Mactal stands out as Laurie’s special PSW for the past few years. Rhea faithfully and tirelessly supported Laurie with Laurie’s sewing and cooking requests, always ensuring that everything was done right. The phrase, “that’s good enough”, was never in Laurie’s lexicon.
Special thanks goes out to the Movement Disorders Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital and Pricilla, a nurse arranged through the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care.
Laurie would love any donations to go to Holland Bloorview Rehab Hospital.
