Antoinette MYERS

1943 - 2019

ANTOINETTE MYERS, OC 'Toni' September 29, 1943 - February 18, 2019 Age 75, award-winning and pioneering IMAX filmmaker, died peacefully at home in Toronto on February 18th, enveloped in love. She was recently invested as an Officer in the Order of Canada by Her Excellency Julie Payette. She was also presented with NASA's highest civilian medal by three former astronauts in December and received the Giant Screen Cinema Association's Lifetime Achievement Award from her peers in September. Her body of IMAX films has influenced millions of people, particularly young people, around the world. She inspired us all to care more about the planet. By coincidence, Ontario Place's Cinesphere played her latest film, A Beautiful Planet, free of charge on Family Day, the day she died. With a huge talent and an adventurous flair, Toni went from an unfettered childhood to Branksome Hall to a brief stint at the Ontario College of Art and then into her prolific filmmaking career. It started in 1960's London, where she worked on groundbreaking music films, and led to an eventual invitation from Graeme Ferguson, a co-founder of IMAX, to come back to Canada to work on the world's first IMAX film. Toni invested the same creativity and warmth that infused her films in all her relationships. She had an extra special gift for friendship and was deeply loved by her family, extended family, neighbours, co-workers, colleagues from the IMAX theatre network, and lifelong friends from around the world. The only daughter of the late Douglas and Norah (Nodie) Trow, Toni was predeceased in 2010 by her beloved husband painter/filmmaker Michael Myers. She leaves behind her cherished family: son Jackson Myers (Kate Hall) and her granddaughter Lola Myers; step-daughter Micki Myers (Matthew Schmidt) and her children Lucia and Javier Judy; cousins Susan Langley (Laurent Joncas), Elizabeth Davidson (Ted); Susan Trow, Anne McBride (Ian); nieces and nephews Howard Owens (Allyson), Stephanie Mackie (Todd), Lee and Eric Joncas, Sarah Garner (Luke), Martin Trow-Lepine, Jennifer, Brendan and Colin McBride; grandnieces and nephews Bronwyn and Seamus Owens, Langley and Finn Mackie, Henry and Olympia Garner. Also grieving are Kate's family Brian and Bodge Hall, Josh Hall (Lisa Diquinzio) and their daughter Nada Hall. She met her devastating diagnosis of late-stage cancer last October with courage, grace and humour. When her longtime friend Barb Kerr arrived at the hospital, Toni laughed and said 'it's curtains for me, Babs!' She marvelled at the quality treatment she received in a two-week stay in the PMH Lederman Palliative Care Centre, under the care of Dr. John Bryson and his team. Her goal to return home for final palliative care was made possible by the ongoing support of Mount Sinai's Temmy Latner Centre, Dr. Jamie Meuser, the amazing nurses and PSWs from SE Health and a committed circle of family, friends and neighbours, too numerous to list. Her apartment was filled with music, books, art and orchids. She had a love of words and word play, a scalpel-sharp sense of humour and a keen insight into politics and current events. She had empathy for young people trying to decide what to do with their lives. She was powerful yet humble, everyone's favourite, and a generous-spirited leader, role model and mentor to so many. From her early days to the very end, Toni treasured the gift of life and savoured every moment, believing she had been a superbly lucky person to have enjoyed such a beautiful time on Earth. As she put it, 'it's all about the laughter and all about the love.' A private cremation was held; a celebration of her life will take place in the spring. For those who wish, donations in Toni's name will be welcomed at the following two places: Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Mount Sinai Hospital https://secure3.convio.net/mtsito/site/Donation2?df_id=1841&mfc_pref=T&1841.donation=form1 Sistering https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/Sistering/OnlineDonation.html