Marsha’s life will be honoured at a gathering on Saturday September 17, 2022, between 2:00pm – 4:00pm, which will be held at Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Ave West, Toronto (2 lights west of Yonge Street, a 5 minute walk from the TTC subway at Eglinton Station). The gathering will also be livestreamed.
Marsha Rose-Anne Gay was an adored shining star, who exuded kindness and love to every person she met. Born September 5, 1966, she passed away unexpectedly on September 2, 2022. She leaves behind her devastated family, her mother Gemma, her brother Ashley, her sister Karen, her amoureux Gérard Raymond, and the absolute centre of her universe, her beloved son Mathias. Friends and family around the world, who also cannot imagine life without her, will miss her profoundly. She showered all her loved ones with the deepest love, respect, and compassion.
Marsha was born in Trinidad, raised in Winnipeg, lived in France, Japan, India, Kenya, Guadeloupe, Nunavut, and for most of the last twenty-five years, Toronto. She loved to read and wrote prolifically, and was always accompanied by imaginative projects, including her beautiful crafting and knitting. Her sense of adventure and zest for travel was unlimited. More than places, Marsha always wanted to know people. She would look deeply into your eyes when speaking with you. For that moment, you felt like the only person in the room. The warmth of her smile felt like rays of the sun to bask in. And if you were the lucky recipient of a Marsha hug – a close full embrace like no other – you will remember it forever.
When Marsha had Mathias, she said that she had met the true love of her life. She poured all of her love and wisdom into her magnificent son, and she was her fiercest and most passionate in advocating for the best for him, and being the best mother she could be to him. Mathias brought her a sense of wonder and joy, and Marsha treasured him. Marsha loved her family deeply and they, her. In Gérard, she found a true life partner.
In addition to all of her amazing life accomplishments as a loving mother, partner, sister, daughter and friend, Marsha was also a leading intellectual light and a lifelong learner. She was astute, intellectually curious, and a critical thinker. That brilliance eventually led her to a LLB from the Faculty of Law at University of Toronto, clerking at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School in alternative dispute resolution. She put all of those skills to work as a lawyer for the Department of Justice for twenty years where she was an inspiring leader and passionate about making a difference. Marsha literally changed the lives of the law students she gave so much to. Marsha also gave back to her community. She volunteered on a government-wide charitable campaign, on her co-op board, and as a community mediator.
Creative, dazzling, warm, and soulful, her vibrant presence in our lives would never have been long enough, but now feels all too brief. She will be cherished with love and memories to last lifetimes, and she lives on in all of our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, her family asks that donations be generously made to Sistering.
A memorial gathering will be held at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto on Saturday, September 17th from 2-4 p.m.
Deepest condolences to her family and friends. I only recently became her colleague, but she was clearly an extraordinary person.
Deepest condolences to her family. I worked with Marsha for many years at the Department of Justice. Her smile and kindness was contagious and infectious. She will be missed. Vittoria Alcamo
My sincere and deepest condolences to Marsha’s family. We at DOJ are devastated by the news of her untimely passing. She was deeply loved and respected by almost anyone who knew her.
My condolences to Mathias, Gemma, Ashley, Karen, Gérard and Marsha’s whole family. Marsha was a profoundly wonderful colleague at the Department of Justice and friend. There is no replacing her and we mourn with you for your loss. She was, as a poet once wrote, “beloved on the earth”.
Marsha’s passing will be grieved by those who worked with her. She was a wonderful person. My deepest sympathies to her family during this difficult time.
Marsha was a lovely soul! I will cherish the lunch dates we had. Rest in Peace Marsha!
My deepest condolences to Marsha’s entire family. Marsha was a beautiful, kind and lovely person whose presence will surely be missed.
I am shocked to hear of the untimely passing of a dear colleague. I had the great pleasure of working alongside Marsha at at DOJ on equity matters, something we were both very passionate about. We also had a chance to run a 5km run through work and chat along the way, I will cherish my memories. Every time I spoke to Marsha she was always positive and spoke passionately about Mathias. Sending my condolences to the whole family as you weave through the heaviness of this time. 🤍
Words can not express my unexplainable emotions when I had received the message from Mathias that, his mother, Marsha had passed.
Gone too soon. God called her home. Enjoy your moments with Our Father who lives in heaven.
On earth, we cherish the moments spent with laughter, conversations about life, hangouts in Iqaluit, Nunavut … we miss and will forever remember Marsha’s “unforgettable ” presence. I am happy to have met her. Blessings, Love, Laughter, Light and Happiness Always.
Sending sincere and profound condolences to Marsha’s family, friends and all who are mourning her deeply. Sending love, warmth and prayers that you be treated with the utmost care and tenderness as you process this unimaginable loss.
I am grateful to have had the great pleasure of knowing Marsha – she was a bright, warm and steady presence in our small yoga community. She will continue to be remembered with great fondness by all who knew her, and greatly missed. Farewell sweet Marsha.
Heartbroken to hear of Marsha’s passing. My prayers to her family and friends, especially Mathias. She was a lovely being. RIP
With deepest condolences to her family.
Words cannot even begin to express my sorrow. I will say though, she will always be in my heart.
I will always cherish the memories that I am privileged to have of her.
Sincerest condolences to Marsha’s family, friends, and loved ones. She is one of the most brilliant, empathetic, and kindest lawyers that I have ever met; her door was always open when I was starting out at the Department of Justice, and I always appreciated her words of advice. She will be greatly missed. Rest in power, Marsha.
Sincerest condolences to Marsha’s family and and his lover Gerard.
I am grateful to have had the great pleasure of knowing Marsha, last October in Paris.
She will be greatly missed. Rest in power, Marsha.
My deepest condolences to our dear colleague’s family. Marsha was a true professional and always so kind to all who had the pleasure of working with her. In our past French classes Marsha always spoke fondly of her amazing adventures and especially how she shared those with her much loved son, Mathias. She will be greatly missed.
I’d like to share my deepest condolences to Marsha’s family. I worked with Marsha at the Department of Justice and over the last few years she became a friend. Such an amazing woman with a beautiful light! She will leave a void that could never be filled.
Je pense à toi cher Mathias,
Ta mère t’aimait tellement et voulait les meilleurs opportunités pour toi.
Tu as beaucoup d’amis à SFA et on espère te voir bientôt,
Anne Rovers
Our deepest condolences. The loss of friends is difficult but the loss of a mother is devastating. Our hearts go out to Matthias on the loss of his champion and greatest pillar and foundation. Know that her spirit lives on and will guide you in the toughest times and applaud your achievements great and small.
Some of us grace the earth for but a moment and shape it forever….Marsha was one of these….RIP M….
Quel bonheur, quelle chance d’avoir connu Marsha en octobre 2021. Nous avons été touché par son sourire, sa simplicité de dialogue. Elle brillait de bonheur en compagnie de Gérard mon pote (un frère de cœur). Son départ soudain m’a attristé, nous a attristé et nous pleurons. Elle restera dans notre cœur.
Nous prions pour elle et présentons à Gérard et à sa famille nos sincères condoléances.
Marsha on ne t’oubliera jamais et sois en paix.
Je suis touché par ton message et je pleure aussi Georges,merci du profond de mon cœur.
Oh my godness.
Je partage cette grande douleur avec toi Gérard et la famille de Marsha et son fils adoré.
Nous avons passé un si moment en octobre dernier.
Timbé rèd frèw nou la épi ou.
My deepest condolences to everyone who loves Marsha, and special love and strength goes out to her beautiful family. Marsha was a beautiful soul with a smile that filled the room and was so contagious. She had a peaceful aura around her and will be greatly missed by her colleagues at the Department of Justice. Her love, brilliance and generosity will live on as her legacy.
My deepest condolences to Marsha’s family and to everyone who loves her. Marsha was a warm and thoughtful colleague, who always showed such empathy and kindness and was so giving of her time and expertise. I will miss our chats. There just aren’t many people who are as kind as Marsha and our office will not be the same without her. Thank you for having shared her with us.
Marsha was a treasure. A warm and vibrant speaker, Marsha was committed to her beliefs and the people around her, and engaged others to look more deeply at their world. I will miss her very much. My deepest condolences to her family and closest friends.
My deepest condolences to Marsha’s family. She was a lovely and warm person. She will be deeply missed.
My deepest condolences to Marsha’s family and all who loved her. She was a gifted writer, a true humanitarian, an amazing mother to Mathias, and had a huge heart. I recalled Marsha and her son visiting our cottage years ago for an afternoon, a walk in our woods, heartwarming conversation, and sharing one of her amazing hugs! I will miss her and am so grateful to have known her. Janet Goldblatt Holmes.
I was so so sorry to hear of Marcia’s passing. What a wonderful, loving, and talented woman she was! I feel for her son, Mathias. I know how very much she loved and cared for him. And my condolences to her family for their loss.
I am deeply sorry to hear of Marsha’s passing. In the few occasions that I met Marsha and wrote with her, I was awed by her remarkable writing talent, her wit, her generosity of spirit, her clear, keen insight. Her devotion to her family, and especially to her beloved son Mathias, shone through in all she wrote and all she said. Condolences to her family for this great loss.
Lina Medaglia