ROSEMARY JOY

January 08, 1935 - April 18, 2025

Our dearest Rosemary Joy died on April 18, 2025 holding her longtime partner John's hand.
Born in Middleton, England, she was a prewar baby raised above a corner store. She was the daughter of a cooper (barrel maker) working at a brewery that owned the off-license (corner store) run by her mother during the war. She earned a teacher's certificate, and, after her marriage to Douglas Gray, moved to Northern Rhodesia. She gave birth to Noel, David and Rosemary and, after independence, taught at a Zambian elementary school. After 12 years, the family moved to Victoria in 1968.
Fervently believing she was the equal of any person, everyone she met was her friend, including street people, bikers, premiers, deans and police officers. Rosemary earned a sociology degree from the University of Victoria, became the president of the student council, the chair of the NDP Women's committee, served on the NDP Federal Executive and Council and helped rewrite the Federal Government Old Age Security staff manual.
In 1978 she met John. Traveling together to Thailand in 1979, they volunteered for the Swedish sponsored UN Unaccompanied Minor project. She soon became the leader of the project. After documenting the Cambodian orphans in five refugee camps, in the following year, she was instrumental in reuniting 80% of these Cambodian children with family or relatives. Returning to Canada, she became the fundraiser for the Victoria Women's Transition House and the teacher of life skills to abused women.
In later years, she battled Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, but still traveled extensively in the US, Spain, Brazil and Mexico with John. She was delighted to know her five grandchildren Pandora, Matilda, Sky, Laser, Solaris and especially her great granddaughter, Jenny. We will all miss her.