Janet Mary Duff TRIMBLE

JANET MARY DUFF TRIMBLE (nee Wilson) Jan passed away peacefully on May 1, 2021 at Campbell House Palliative Residence in Collingwood. She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years Bill. She is survived by her three children, Cindy Rusak (Jim), Tom (Lisa) and Duff (Eimear), her five grandchildren Aaron, Mathew, Mary, Reed and Wil, and her brother Reed Wilson, sister Nan Finlayson, and in-laws Gloria and Alex Macklin. Jan was born and raised in Ayr, Ontario where her father was the town doctor. She attended Kitchener Collegiate Institute for most of her high school but for her final year she was fortunate to be in the first class for Neuchâtel College in Switzerland. It was a grand adventure as she travelled across Europe and the U.K. She would eagerly await the many reunions that occurred over the years and cherished the lifelong friends she made that year. Upon her return, she attended Trinity College at University of Toronto where she met Bill. Soon she found herself in London Ontario raising her three children while Bill worked at The University of Western Ontario. Jan could be found attending many of her children's sporting events, playing ball hockey on the streets, and taking Sunday family walks in the woods. She also filled the house with music, books, and lively dinner table discussions; often championing the causes of the underrepresented. She decided to return to university (at Western) and eventually completed her master's degree in history with a specialization in oral and public history. She taught a course in oral history and greatly enjoyed her interactions with students and fellow faculty members. Her most rewarding accomplishments was the oral history she contributed to "A History of Christian Island and the Beausoleil Band". Her time on the island fostered some wonderful relationships, several of which continued throughout her life. When Bill retired, they moved to "the farm" in Rob Roy where she spent time with close friends, was active with the Collingwood Museum and loved to hike, cross-country ski and garden. She rediscovered her love of singing and participated in several choirs, including the Rob Roy United Church choir. One of her yearly delights was when the family would gather at the farm each Christmas for pond hockey games and a joyous dinner. Her spiritual home was Go Home Bay in Georgian Bay. There she, and the four other J's, spent many summers enjoying the wind, water and rock. She was also a formidable competitor in the yearly Regatta. She and Bill also loved to travel. During their life together, they had visited almost every inch of Canada and ventured from the High Artic to the tip of South America, across Europe and as far east as Japan. Jan touched many people in her life and enjoyed some extraordinary friendships that lasted decades. Her easy laugh, strong opinions, stoic character, and quick mind will be terribly missed by her family and friends. At her wish, no service will be held. Donations in her honour to Nature Conservancy of Canada or Doctors Without Borders would be most appreciated.