Winniefred (“Winnie”) Gregory, passed away peacefully on February 1, 2022, at Credit Valley Hospital. She will be dearly missed by her beloved husband, Winston (“George”) Gregory, her daughter, Joan Willis, her stepson, Wayne Gregory, her grandchildren, Jameel Willis, Janine Willis, and Rochelle Wimbush (née Willis), and her great grandchildren: Langston, Solange, Ella, Maya and Hendrix. She also leaves behind her much-loved nephews, Paul and Patrick Williams, as well as a host of cousins and life-long friends. Winnie was well-respected within the community as an accomplished businesswoman. But, more importantly, she was loved by many as a generous, true and faithful friend. She served as an adoptive mother-figure in the lives of many who found themselves in need of a helping hand or a warm meal.

Winnie’s love for beauty and for helping others look their best led her to excel in the field of hairdressing. With her husband at her side, Winnie founded one of the first black-owned hair dressing salons in Toronto – Winnie’s Hair Stylists, located on Eglinton Avenue West. Winnie credited her successful business to the dedication of her hardworking staff and her extensive and ever faithful clients, who would spend hours waiting to have their hair done at her salon.

Winnie was the recipient of many awards and commendations for her dedicated service in the hairdressing industry and her philanthropic work in the community at large. Winnie took great pride in training aspiring hairdressers in the skills of aesthetics and hairdressing. She strongly believed in reaching out and helping others achieve their full potential, and as such, encouraged and assisted many of her staff to establish their own businesses.

Upon retirement, Winnie and her husband, spent their time traveling, gardening and simply enjoying the “fruits” of their labour.

Winnie’s funeral service will be held on February 19, 2022 at 10 a.m. Please note that due to Covid-19 there is a restriction on the number of attendees permitted at the funeral service. Funeral attendees are asked to register online in advance of the funeral at: https://pcwc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1183534