ISABEL MARY BIRCH "Frankie" (née Frankland)
18 March 1928 – 4 January 2024

After a life dedicated to others, Frankie died at North York General Hospital due to a brief illness. Beloved wife of the late John William Birch (2018). Much loved mother of Kate (Dominic), Ken (Sheryl) and Jean (José). Adored grandmother to Joey, Olivia, Julia, Natalie, and Christopher, and step-grandmother to Sean and Aaron. Born in Wray, Lancashire to Alfred “Alf” and Martha “Belle” Frankland, Frankie qualified as a nurse in the UK and came to Canada in the late 1950s on a cross-country camping trip with several friends and her sister Jean. Intending to work for a while in Ontario and then travel, she met John at a New Year’s Eve dance and married him in March 1959. Over the years, they lived in Elliot Lake, ON, London (UK), and Saskatchewan before moving to Toronto in the mid-1970s. Frankie continued to work part-time as a caregiver and a nurse and retired in 1993. Throughout her life, she was active in the United Church of Canada, especially with the UCW. She loved books, Sudoku, crosswords, puzzles, bridge, board games, and gardening. She believed in the best in people, never making judgments based on preconceived notions. A Funeral Service will be held at York Cemetery and Funeral Centre, 160 Beecroft Rd, Toronto, ON M2N 5Z5, on Wednesday, 10 January 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation from 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to United Church Mission and Service (www.united-church.ca) or Parkinson Canada (www.parkinson.ca).