October 26, 1950 – February 26, 2026 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gerald (Jerry) Hamilton Crown at the age of 75 after several months of fighting with cancer. Mourned by his beloved wife, Francine Pelletier; family and friends. Jerry was born and grew up in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, where he spent time making friends, learning to sail, reading, having fun, and later picked up an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in journalism from Western University. Jerry began his career as a journalist with the Etobicoke Guardian and then moved to Toronto Hydro and then Ontario Hydro (Ontario Power Corporation) where he retired in 2005. Jerry made innumerable lifelong friends throughout his professional career. He read widely with enthusiasm, also cultivating an abiding interest in classical music, folk, and blues though he was no big supporter of heavy metal, raucous rock or cheesy pop tunes. Early on, Jerry decided his best of times most often took place at the family cottage on Balsam Lake with his mother, June; father, Herbert and older brother, Rodney. His deep love for the quirks of the cottage, its sun-dappled deck, pine-scented woods, and the community at the lakeside never diminished. Right up until the fall of 2025 he continued to take pleasure there, fussing in the woodpile and doing repairs around the cottage, reading the paper, cranking up the barbecue, keeping an eye out for neighbours and volunteering as Director with the Balsam Lake Association pretty much to the end of his life. In the midst of all this, he found time to meet and woo Francine Pelletier, the woman who would become his wife, travel companion, and most stalwart ally for over 20 years. Together they hosted wonderful dinner parties, letting friends and family eat and drink well and exchange strong views over politics, economics, literature, music and life in general. Jerry was predeceased by his parents, Herbert Crown and June Hamilton, and his brother Rodney. He is survived by the love of his life, Francine Pelletier; sister-in-law, Marielle and her husband, Michel Durette; their children, Rosalie, Corinne, Isabelle and Nancy; sister-in-law, Sylvie and her husband, Marcel Ouellet and their children, Maxime, Amélie and Maude and all of their children; as well as by sister-in-law, Pauline. Gone too soon. Jerry will be deeply missed by numerous cousins and friends. Special thanks go to his oncologist, Dr. Suneil Khanna, and to his palliative care doctor, Dr. Jonathan Ailon, as well as to their entire teams at St. Michael's Hospital for their excellent care and dedication to patients. A Celebration of Life will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, On M4T 2V8 on May 2, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the
Canadian Cancer Society. For online condolences, please visit
www.etouch.ca Published by The Globe and Mail from Mar. 7 to Mar. 11, 2026.
