Grey-Bruce Weeps

It is with great sadness that Grey-Bruce Section has to accept the loss of two of its most loved members. Jean Downs and Doug Black have died. Both were 76 years of age. Such a hard time now for us all to mourn their passing and give comfort to their families. Mike Downs has provided some really great memories and, true to form for him, some very humourus quips.

Jean was sure loved by our group. When Mike would volunteer to host a meeting we all knew it was Jean that went that extra mile and put together one fine repast!! Of course Mike took all the credit with that twinkle in his eye! Attendance would invariably go up at their Sauble Beach cottage! If I may, I'd like to plagiarise some of Mike's memories:

"Her eulogy pretty well summarizes our life together. It's more like 90 years if you add the 40 years we have been working together in retail.

She elected to carry on with the little time left. She worked in the store reduced hours, continued baking for the cottage visitors, read, maintained her plant plantation, watched TV and enjoyed the beach sunshine and water which she never had time to do before with our summer workload in the store.

Many did not know the real Jeannie. She was a very strong and organized lady. Besides keeping me organized personally she preplanned her demise completely and, as promised, I and her immediate family followed her wishes. She did not want any fanfare; elected assisted death; no funeral; cremation and burial at Warwich cemetery. That will happen after Thanksgiving. She co-ordinated her demise with her immediate family who chose to be with her in the final hours . She was more concerned for everyone more so than herself all thru her illness. Jean is irreplaceable in my heart. I am so thankful for the love everyone expressed. She got to see almost every great niece and nephew before her demise. Mind you I think she got to reward most with her cookware and artifacts but I know that was not the reason [as] she was well loved by all.

I have lost a wife, a working partner, but mostly someone I loved with all my heart that will be irreplaceable.

One final smile prior to her passing. She asked our local funeral director to transport her around the cenotaph at the end of our street and drive by the cottage at Sauble when it is over. I told her I am making one exception to her fanfare rule. I am organizing a Parade of paid bikers to follow in her honour and wondered if she had enough money left in her account to pay them. We loved each other in a way very few could ever achieve."

If I may, Mike has put pen to paper to give us more. It pretty hard to improve upon Mike's words! They are precious:

"She liked everyone in our club and enjoyed the social events even though not much of a motorcycle passenger in the later years which was fine with me. It was kinda nice being free of a constant speedometer behind me and sore ribs from constant speed limit jabs. I am even void of the embarrassment in our younger days when we did ride together to the farm or the beach. Instead of taking in the scenery she would be sitting there on the back of a Goldwing reading her book with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth for all to see at a stoplight. Even her 1st solo attempt took place after a few beers and a backyard party. It was in Kitchener and everyone was taking turns to ride my little 90cc around our 1 acre field. I asked where Jean went and someone said she took the bike through the trail in the bush at the back. I said there was no trail back there and we started running. We found her plastered with bush cuts and bruises and trying to free the tangled bike. When asked how, she cursed the throttle [and said] "instead of slowing down the bike sped up and would not turn."

Lovely, absolutely lovely memories. Thank you Mike for bringing Jean into our lives.

Grey-Bruce Section Members