NORMA McKEOWN

In her 100th year, Norma Mary McKeown (née Lawson) died peacefully, on Sunday, February 1, 2026, just as she wished - at home, surrounded by the love of her family. A lifelong Torontonian, Norma's century-long life was defined by compassion, generosity and devotion to family, friends, and community. She is survived by her sons, Tom and John; her daughters-in-law, Rozi (Andrejas) and Lindsay (Bracht); and her grandchildren, Meghan, Griffin, Brooke, Luke and Aidan. Known affectionately as Grandma or "Gma," she celebrated countless birthdays, milestones and special events with her family. In a unique coincidence, her granddaughter, Brooke, was born on her birthday in 2003, making July 14th a particularly cherished day for 22 years. It was in the vibrant, smaller Toronto of her youth that Norma met the love of her life, Cliff McKeown, on a double date at the Hotel Victoria with her dear friend, Donna MacDonald. Within a year, they were married in Collingwood, Ontario - a place of fond family memories and gatherings. After a fulfilling career at Bell Canada, when her sons were teens, Norma went back to work as a secretary at Saint Ansgar's Lutheran Church. It was there that she ran the food bank for many years in partnership with the Daily Bread Food Bank. Sadly, in 1985, after 21 years together, Cliff died and left her broken-hearted. Norma carried his memory with her for the rest of her life, cherishing the decades they shared and the love that shaped their family. Norma treasured her friends and her dear older sister, Lulu, and had an immense love of all books and drives to the country. She also loved to sing, and much to her grandchildren's amusement, had a tendency to belt out random hymns, showtunes or Christmas carols. Norma was a woman of deep compassion, who valued fairness and generosity. She instilled in her family the importance of helping others and always considering life from another person's perspective. She taught her sons that failure was not final - if you did not succeed the first time, you tried again - a lesson in resilience they carry to this day. The family expresses profound gratitude to the care team that allowed Norma to remain in her home of 62 years, as she wished - especially her devoted caregiver of six years, Ines. We also have the deepest appreciation for Dr. Wintemute, whose compassionate care included many house calls, which supported Norma in her later years and allowed her to live and die on her own terms. Norma's life was a testament to love and steadfast moral conviction. She leaves a legacy of kindness, resilience, and devotion that will continue to inspire her family. She will be deeply missed, but her lessons, values, and memory will continue to guide and inspire all who were fortunate enough to know her. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favourite charity.