Obituary for
Jean Gertrude Lyne (nee Leeder)
July 20, 1931 – November 5, 2020
“A genuine, warm and caring woman to all that knew her”
November 5, 2020, Jean died, surrounded by her family. She is survived and dearly loved by
her husband, Richard; children, Leslie, Allyson, and Tom (Sophie); grandchildren, Béatrice (Ryan), Lucie (Tim), Lisa, Maeve, Thomas, and Leo; great-grandchildren; Emma, Élodie and Rosalie; siblings, Gladys, Hazel, Blanche, Bob, and George. Jean was predeceased by her parents, Marion and Purvis Leeder; siblings, Benny, Edgar, Hubert, and Myrtle.
Growing up on the family farm near Thorsby, Jean was the second oldest child of ten children and the oldest of five girls. A natural-born leader, she had tenacity and a desire to create better. Around the age of 14 she went to live with her grandfather in Thorsby for a year of high school, and afterward moved to Edmonton to work as a nanny for the Graham family. She was able to save money and attend secretarial school while working for the Grahams, and after graduation found work at Western Supplies as first a secretary, and then executive assistant.
Jean met her future husband Richard Lyne and other life-long friends at the YMCA, where she was president of the Golf Club, and Richard was president of the Saturday Night Dance Club. She had many happy memories from those days.
In 1954 Jean was chosen to be the YMCA’s representative at an upcoming event in Paris. However, Richard proposed marriage on a visit to his parents in Victoria at Christmas when he took her to meet them. Jean married Richard on June 11, 1955 and Paris had to wait. They bought their home in Edmonton’s Capilano neighborhood in 1958, where they raised their family and have continued to live. Jean and Richard celebrated 65 years of marriage last June, in their home.
Involved with the community around her, Jean volunteered with the Talent Education music program and learned how to play violin with Allyson and Tom as they started. Later Jean
volunteered with the Girl Guides of Canada, starting out as a local leader and eventually
became commissioner for the local region.
Jean always encouraged her children in the arts and to explore the world around them. A great
sewer, her children were always well dressed and later she turned her sewing skills to creating
quilts for family.
Jean went back to work in the early ’70s. She first worked as executive assistant to the manager of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce where she worked many interesting years, and later worked with WIN House (Women In Need) and then The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
Jean and Richard retired in 1991 and purchased a GMC motor home. They had many wonderful trips together over the next 20 years, including visits to Leslie’s family in Toronto, and Allyson & her kids in Montreal. Jean always enjoyed visiting her children and grandchildren and made the trip overseas to visit Tom & Sophie in Scotland whenever possible. Jean and Richard also enjoyed visiting his sister Marjorie and her husband Ev in New Brunswick. In her last years, seeing her new great-granddaughters by video or in person always brought a bright smile to her face.
Throughout her life, Jean’s warmth, intelligence and love was felt by all who met and knew her.
Please join us in a Celebration of Jean’s Life. Her Funeral Service will be held at Park Memorial Chapel, 9709 – 111 Avenue NW, Edmonton, on November 22, 2020, at 3:30 p.m. and will be live-streamed from www.parkmemorial.com.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Jean Gertrude
Lyne nee Leeder 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta