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Gretchen McDowell
June 12, 1928 - February 10, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Gretchen Erica McDowell passed away on February 10, in Toronto, of complications following a stroke. <br /> <br />Born 12 June 1928 in Buffalo to Herman Otto Erich Liebmann and Margaretha Haesslein, Gretchen moved with the family to Canada in 1936. As a teen she was a symphony violinist and maintained a lifelong love of classical music. She graduated from University of Toronto in 1950 where she met her future husband Ralph McDowell. <br /> <br />She will be fondly remembered by sons Scott and Mark, and their spouses Helen and Linda. Her six grandchildren, Erica, Brett, Yasmin, Curtis, Sana, and Eric will miss hanging out with their irreverent and fun loving grandma. <br /> <br />Gretchen enjoyed socializing with her friends in Toronto and Muskoka, and was a keen traveller, from the Andes to the Sahara, from Leningrad to Java. She was active in charity and the arts, including being a founder of the Dellcrest Children&rsquo;s Centre and a past President of the Empire Club Toronto and the Canadian Opera Women&rsquo;s Committee, and was recognized for her lifelong contribution to social causes. <br /> <br />Visitation will take place from 4-8pm on Sunday 15 February, at the Mount Pleasant Visitation Centre (375 Mount Pleasant Road, East Gate Entrance). <br /> <br />Memorial service will take place at 1030am on Tuesday 17 February, at St John&rsquo;s Anglican Church in York Mills (19 Don Ridge. www.sjym.ca). <br /></div>