In memory of

Jeanette McLean Clark

January 5, 1942 -  April 1, 2024

CLARK, JEANETTE MCLEAN 1942-2024

Jeanette passed away peacefully on April 1, surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. Her memory will be forever etched in the hearts of her devoted husband of 51 years, Geoffrey, her brother Edward (Barbara), sister-in-law Pauline, nephew Ted (Margaret), and niece Sue (Anthony). Pre-deceased by her brother-in-law John.

Her love for life knew no bounds and she found joy in exploring new places through travel, immersing herself in the beauty of the arts, and embarking on a lifelong quest for knowledge. Her passion for literature and reading was not only evident in her personal pursuits but also in her dedicated service as a Librarian at the TDSB, where she nurtured a love for learning in countless students over the years.

Jeanette cultivated deep and meaningful relationships, including a lifelong friendship with her dear friend Moira. Her wit, warmth, kindness, and grace touched the lives of her former students, colleagues, and a wide circle of friends and neighbours, leaving an indelible mark on everyone she met.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate doctors and nurses at Sunnybrook Hospital for their unwavering care and support during Jeanette's illness.

A celebration of Jeanette's life will take place at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, on Saturday, April 27 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Médecins Sans Frontières (doctorswithoutborders.ca) or the Toronto Public Library Foundation (tplfoundation.ca), honoring Jeanette's passion for humanitarianism and literacy.

May her spirit continue to shine brightly in the hearts of all who knew her.

Guestbook 

(5 of 7)

Dale Jackson (Fellow teacher and member of our decades long book club)

Entered April 8, 2024 from Burnt River, Ontario

I am so sorry for your loss Geoffrey. Jeanette was such an inspiration to work with as a teacher and she was a driving force in the book club for decades. Her knowledge of literature and authors was an inspiration to all of us. I remember way back when having lunch with Chris Gay and her fellow teacher librarian Jeanette who I was meeting for the first time. Now they are both gone and I miss them both.

Jane Moore (Book club friend for over 30 years)

Entered April 9, 2024 from Toronto, ON

Jeanette offered our book club many riches of new, international works to savour and offered bright and energetic assessments of the titles we discussed. She could take it on the chin when someone disagreed with her and never let heated discussions get in the way of happy friendship.

Lucy Conde (and Scott Taras) (Former student and friend)

Entered April 14, 2024 from Oshawa, Ontario

Words cannot express the sadness that we feel at this time. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Clark when I was in grade 3, back in February of 1975. She was the librarian with the great accent that I could barely understand! Her eyes were mesmerizing, with their dual colours. She became an inspiration right from the start. She instilled in us a love of reading. As we grew up, she became our mentor, a voice of reason and our cheerleader when we needed it. As time passed, we continued to see each other as friends. Mr. and Mrs. Clark welcomed us into their home and into their hearts. We cherished our summer and holiday get-togethers. We will miss the wonderful conversations over fabulous meals. Mrs. Clark, you left a bigger impact on your past library helpers than you will ever know! May you rest in peace.

Gordon Wong (Former student)

Entered April 15, 2024 from Calgary, Alberta

Mrs. Clark was the school librarian at Bruce Public School for only a few years in the late 70s but she had a profound impact on my life. She was able to transfer her love of reading to me to the point that to this day I’m physically unable to walk past a bookstore without going in or buying a house that is not close to a public library. She was one of a kind and will be sorely missed.

Fiona MacKay (God daughter)

Entered April 25, 2024 from Glasgow, Scotland

Jeanette was a childhood friend of my mum, Sandra MacKay. They got up to many adventures hitch-hiking in Ireland and holidaying in Italy. As my mum got more and more ill with dementia, Jeanette shared stories with me about their school days and holidays. She was a great comfort to me.
Jeanette was also my god mother - the exciting far travelled aunt who lived in Canada. I loved writing to her as a child, and when she visited home we were always excited to see her - she treated us kids like adults and was so interested in our views.
Jeanette’s Scottish family will miss her.

Photos 

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