Elizabeth EAYRS

ELIZABETH EAYRS 1927 - 2023 Beloved wife, mother of five, civic leader, dedicated volunteer and reader extraordinaire, Elizabeth Eayrs died peacefully in her 96th year on June 10, 2023, in Toronto. Born in Toronto on June 30, 1927, Elizabeth was the eldest child of Betty Lofft (nee Gordon) and Alfred Hartley (A.H.) Lofft of St. Marys, Ontario. At the tender age of three, Elizabeth picked up a book and never put one down. Reading sustained her throughout her long and interesting life. She immersed herself in history, novels, biographies and poetry; books were her constant companions. She had an exceptional memory and mind, with her family playfully referring to her as 'the original Google' for her encyclopedic knowledge of geography, history and literature and her love of languages and current events. The author with whom Elizabeth resonated most deeply was Alice Munro, whose superb short stories captured the characters and communities of small-town Southwestern Ontario that Elizabeth treasured in the same way. Elizabeth was raised in Toronto, where her father was General Manager at Simpsons Dept. store. She spent carefree summers and Christmas holidays in St. Marys, Ontario, near Stratford, at the home of her cherished Aunt Dolly. The little town, of which she maintained a lifelong love, offered children plenty of scope for adventure, from swimming in the quarry, playing along the shores of Trout Creek to tobogganing down the Stonetown's steep hills. Elizabeth was educated first at Havergal College in Toronto and earned a B.A. in history at Trinity College, University of Toronto where she was head of College at St. Hilda's. She then received her M.A. in history from the University of Western Ontario. It was at Trinity College that she met fellow student James Eayrs. They wed in 1950 and went on to raise five children and enjoy a remarkable marriage that spanned seven decades. Elizabeth was the intellectual equal to her brilliant academic husband, offering him endless support and the benefit of her keen mind and loving, patient nature. As newlyweds, they lived in London, England where Elizabeth worked as a shop girl at Harrods Department Store selling fashion jewelry while James completed his Ph.D. His academic placements took them to Winnipeg, then Ottawa, before the couple eventually settled in Toronto where they lived for six decades in their Swansea home overlooking High Park. Elizabeth ran a bustling household with the help of her beloved, independent-spirited mother who lived next door. Some of her happiest domestic memories were watching from her kitchen window (no doubt whipping up one of her countless delicious dinners) while her children skated happily on Grenadier Pond. Never-ending house chores were accompanied by her own whistled or hummed renditions of tunes from the Big Band era, with an occasional verse or two from the Andrews Sisters. Latterly, Glen Miller gave way to Schubert lieder, Brahms chamber music and a not-so-secret infatuation with Placido Domingo. Community-minded and possessed with a keen political intelligence, she was active in the civic arena. She was president of the Swansea Ratepayers Association and vice-chairman of the Confederation of Resident and Ratepayer Associations (CORA). In 1972, she was elected as a Toronto City Councillor for Ward 1, serving three terms alongside Mayor David Crombie during the heady days of a Jane Jacobs-inspired reform movement. At City Hall, she championed numerous causes including saving Toronto Island homes, stopping the Spadina expressway and preserving Union Station. Elizabeth worked tirelessly for her constituents, resolving issues large and small at all hours of the day and evening. In retirement, Elizabeth was director on the board of governors at the High Park School for Visually Impaired Children and was actively involved at the Morningside High Park Presbyterian Church. In her later years, she was afflicted with tinnitus and, truly selfless, she turned her suffering into a platform to help educate and support others. She founded the Tinnitus Association of Canada, helping thousands of fellow sufferers with endless empathy and a wealth of practical information. Her commitment to the Tinnitus Association earned her the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. In her final decades, there was time for gardening and nurturing literary friendships in which copious selections of poetry were shared and commented on. She would sit in her garden blooming with hydrangeas, tulips, and lilies, enjoying the company of her teatime visitors including her six grandchildren who adored her. Nana, as her family called her in later years, was always stylishly turned out in her signature colours of lavender and pink, accented with beautiful, floral silk scarfs. Gracious, kind, intelligent and beautiful, Elizabeth charmed and brightened the lives of all who met her. She maintained her curious mind, her delightful sense of humour and a positive spirit to the end. Elizabeth was predeceased by her husband, James Eayrs; son, James Wild Eayrs; brother, John G. Lofft; and infant grandson, Frederick Eayrs. She leaves grieving, her son, Jonathan (daughter-in-law, Beth Eayrs); daughter, Betsy; daughter, Emily (son-in-law Theodore Babiak); daughter, Susanna (son-in-law Rob Paynter); brother, Michael Lofft; cousin, Liz Gordon; and grandchildren, Adam Babiak, Daniel Babiak, Miles Paynter, Alex Paynter, Sylvia Eayrs and Edith Eayrs. Heartfelt thanks to her exceptional caregivers, Cherry Pascual and Anna Pioroda, who enabled Elizabeth to live out her long life at home with great quality and dignity.