ANNABELLE EDNA RUSSELL HEINTZMAN

August 15, 1926 - November 3, 2025

After a life well lived, Annabelle died at age 99, after undergoing surgery as the result of a fall. Born in Mount Forest to George and Frances (McLellan) Russell, Annabelle was predeceased by her siblings: Mary, Edward, Bruce, and Ian and by her husband, G. Howard Heintzman, who died at age 56, in 1978.

Growing up, Annabelle was mischievous, resilient, whip smart and adventurous. She wanted to travel the world. After training to be a nurse at Toronto General Hospital, she moved to London, England, where she worked as a flight attendant for British European Airways. Upon returning to Canada in 1951, Annabelle took a summer position at Bigwin Inn on Lake of Bays where she was the in-house nurse. It was there that she met Howard and they married in the spring of 1952. After three years and three children in Edmonton, they returned to Toronto, with two more children soon following.

With boundless energy, artistic talent, a somewhat scattered thought process and more than a bit of feistiness, Annabelle was a force. She was a beautiful woman who turned heads and captured attention up to the day she died. Her adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit led to many ventures, including volunteering at Wellesley Hospital, organizing theatre tours to Stratford and Shaw, selling her artistic creations and, for many years, running Late Bloomers, a floral business, with her great friend, Anne McLeod. Annabelle had friends of all ages, backgrounds and talents. She was an avid tennis player, skier and golfer, and an active member of The Garden Club of Toronto.

She leaves behind her five children: Kim (Bill Henry) - Christopher Henry (Robyn Jones), Patrick Henry (Ella): Elizabeth (Peter McDonald) - Emily McDonald: Howard (Maureen Sanborn) - Isobel Heintzman: Robin (Gord Currie) – Alexandra Currie (Jamie Clark) - Annabel, Cecily: Shaine Currie (Thomas Grace) - James, Charlotte, Olivia: Peter - Be Heintzman Hope, Merlin Heintzman Hope - Gael, Mae.

We would like to thank the staff at The Balmoral Club and Bayview Gardens who cared for Mum over the past 10 years. A service of remembrance and reception at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church will be held Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

Should you choose to make a donation in Annabelle's name, please do so to the Charity of Your Choice.