In memory of
Irene Marie Medcof
June 8, 1945 -
June 25, 2021
It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Irene, our beloved wife, mother and grandmother in Toronto, Ontario on June 25, 2021. Surviving with her love in our hearts are husband John W, children John T (Jennifer), Anne (James) and Thera (Andrew), granddaughters Eva, Chantel and Isabelle, and extended family in the United States, England and Australia.
Irene was born in Blois, France on June 8, 1945, as the only child to Anna and Theodore Pawlivec. Anna and Theodore had immigrated from Poland, but were of ethnic Ukrainian culture, a culture that remained important to the family throughout their lifetime and was shared with Irene’s children. Irene often spoke fondly of her childhood in La Croix-en-Touraine, where the family farmed grapes.
In 1954 the Pawlivec’s immigrated to Montreal, Canada. Irene and her parents spoke French and Ukrainian at home, but she attended French and English schools and Ukrainian after school programs and camps. After graduating from high school, she entered the nursing program at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Montreal. Her time at RVH was not only notable for the launch of her future career but while studying she met lifelong friends that she kept in touch with until her passing. In 1964 Irene’s friends set her up on a blind date with John Medcof, which lead to their marriage, and they remained devoted to one another for 52 years until her passing. Before marrying John, Irene remained busy with her studies. She completed her nursing diploma then moved to Ottawa to study nursing at University of Ottawa, completing her degree just prior to marrying John.
Upon marrying John, Irene moved to Toronto, and she officially launched her 50-year public service career, which started when she began teaching nursing at Ryerson University (and its predecessor). Shortly after the move Irene and John started their family. They were dedicated active parents to their three young children - ensuring they were enrolled in a variety of activities, they drove them around the city to swimming, soccer, music, camps etc., and Irene made sure the children learned her native language through enrolment in French language schools.
In 1985, the family moved to Hamilton, when John took up a position at McMaster University. They welcomed the move to Hamilton, a smaller city, and a good place to raise the children. For Irene the move led to a career in community health care. While in Hamilton she was on the senior management team for Victorian Order of Nurses home care program, then the Hamilton Local Integrated Health Network (LHIN), after actively advising on the transition of community care programs to the new LHIN structure. During this period, she also completed a master’s degree in Education from the University of Toronto, became a member of a team that visited and accredited home care programs across Canada, and sat on the boards of local non-profits. While she and John actively raised the kids to young adulthood and supported one another in their careers, for fun they took up ballroom dancing, and Irene enjoyed participating in a neighbourhood book club. Vacations were focused on visiting family, including connecting with Irene’s cousins living in the United States. In the 1990s she inquired to her parents about her European ancestry, which led to the pursuit of establishing lifelong relationships with cousins in the England and Australia.
After the children had completed their undergraduate studies, in 2002 Irene and John moved back to Toronto, as Irene was taking up a new position with the Ontario Public Service (OPS). Her career in the OPS included executive roles at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, and then Public Health Ontario until her passing. During his period when Irene and John weren’t visiting with friends and family, and in particular their granddaughters in Toronto and Ottawa, they enjoyed the Toronto arts, culture, and culinary scenes, and they travelled extensively on cruises, land tours and on their own. Irene was also active as a director on boards of the condominiums in which she and John lived, eventually becoming Chair of the Board.
Irene was a strong, energetic, loving and giving woman. She loyally took care of her family, never missing the opportunity to cook them a wonderful meal or plan a celebration. She welcomed new members to her family with open arms and delight and always supported her husband, her children and families, cousins, friends, staff and colleagues, no matter what challenge they were facing. She worked hard so she and John could provide their children opportunities, and she was generous in sharing with those in her life. Her family’s love and support, and her strength and energy, enabled her to successfully battle cancer five times over the years. In April 2020 she suffered a cerebellar stroke which incapacitated her. She had been recovering slowly but optimistically when she had the fatal hemorrhage in her right brain on June 25. Her husband and daughters, and their partners, were at her side in St. Michael’s Hospital (where she had delivered all her children and taught nursing many years earlier) when she passed away peacefully at 10:00 o’clock in the evening.
Nothing gave Irene more delight than her family and her work. But at the end of the day, she enjoyed unwinding with a nice meal and glass of wine, pampering the family pets, connecting with friends, listening to music, or reading.
Due to Covid 19 restrictions a private ceremony and internment will be held at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Canadian Cancer Society.