Jean ZWICKER

JEAN ZWICKER A mother, former flight attendant and government employee, friend of stray animals, human and otherwise, Jean Adie Zwicker (nee Muzzell) passed away peacefully, with family and friends at her side, the evening of Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at Toronto Western Hospital. She had suffered a massive stroke the previous Friday evening following heart surgery. Born in Owen Sound, Ontario on March 20, 1938, Jean came to Toronto when she was 16 to work as a secretary at Toronto Iron Works, then became a long distance operator with Bell Canada. Next she became a stewardess with Trans-Canada Airlines in 1962, training in Montreal. Jean married Globe and Mail reporter Barrie Zwicker on February 1, 1964, making her ineligible to continue flying. But when "crew sked" found there were too few stews available to staff flights, they got the green light to call up married stews after all. Jean continued flying. After Barrie left his job as education reporter at the Toronto Star to earn a precarious living freelancing and later as an independent publisher, Jean was a mainstay of the family. She worked for the Ontario government as a "GO Temp," in the ministries of the Attorney General, Energy, and Environment, making lifelong friends along the way. Her favourite hobby was gardening. She worked with limited plots, making the most of them, growing enough vegetables to reduce the family's grocery bills. A big thank you to all the doctors, nurses and other staff at the hospital, who were extremely competent and caring. Jean leaves her husband, Barrie; daughter, Zena; son, Gren (Beth); and granddaughter, Leah, all of Toronto; her first daughter, Shirley Miller of Durham; and a sister, Beatrice Heighes of Collingwood. A celebration of Jean's life will be held in Durham, ON. on Saturday, February 2nd at 12 p.m. at the Legion Hall, 271 Bruce Street North, Durham (West Grey) with visitation prior to the service from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Interval House or Friends of Canadian Broadcasting will be appreciated. For further details, contact McCulloch-Watson Funeral Home Ltd. 1-855-369-3837.