My Family

Joan Marie DOWTHWAITE. Joan was the second in the family, but brought up pretty well as an only child because her brother Ralph was seven years older than she was.

Her first memory is of her first day of kindergarten at Eglinton Public School. She cried when her mother left her, and in the middle of the morning just ran through the big double doors back outside and all the way home! She always remembered the beautiful stained-glass windows of the kindergarten, and when the school was finally torn down in 1997, wondered where they ever went. Apparently the big double doors though that she ran through that day are to be incorporated into the new building.

Her best friend from childhood and throughout her married life was Joyce, who was one year younger and who lived just down the street. They used to ride their bicycles to the city limits where the farmland started, which was ??.

Joan and her mother were exceptionally close, doing everything together. Her mother made all of Joan's clothes on the big oak dining room table, which you can see today has thousands of tiny pin marks in it. She also made all of the costumes for Joan's tap dancing and baton classes, which she has kept, and clothes for all of her dollies. Mom was in the Santa Claus parade one year as a baton twirler, and had her picture in the Toronto Star.

When Joan was 9, her cousin Sheila came over to Canada from Oxford, England as a war refugee and stayed until Joan was 13. These years were wonderful for her, as Sheila was like a sister to her. They spent summer holidays up at Musselman's Lake, near Stouffville.

In high school, Mom started going out with Jack Moriarty, who was a few years older than her. She would spend a lot of time on the weekends with his family, who lived near Laird Dr in Leaside. When Jack went away to Queen's University the first year, Joan still spent a lot of time on weekends with his mother. Things didn't work out though, and the following summer they stopped seeing each other. Mom always wondered how he had gotten on in life though, and one day spotted him sitting on a bench years later.

Mom used to go to dances at Casa Loma on Saturday nights, in the conservatory. The music was big band music at that time.

After high school, she became a secretary at Montreal Trust, then later joined IBM where she worked for the president, Mr Sheppard. When she got married, of course, she stopped working as women did in those days.

Mom was a great sewer herself, although she didn't seem to enjoy it as much as her mother had! She made all of her own maternity clothes, clothes for the children and dresses for herself. She made mother-and-daughter outfits for Easter each year, and we both had our hats, purses and gloves.

Parents: Harry Vernon DOWTHWAITE and Ella Elise PERKINS.

She was married to Paul Edward PENCE on 5 Nov 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. Children were: Carole Joan PENCE, David Brian PENCE.

Hannah DOYLE

She was married to James Henry MYERS. Children were: Adam MYERS, Civilla MYERS, Annie MYERS, Clara MYERS, Addington MYERS, Edward Norman MYERS, Ervin J. MYERS.

Hannah Rachel DOYLE

She was married to David M. FAULKNER . Children were: Willoughby FAULKNER, Gwendolyn Ethel FAULKNER, Roy Melvin FAULKNER , Clyde Harold FAULKNER, Rita Margaret Helen FAULKNER, Edward Joseph FAULKNER .