Virginia Mccabe

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Virginia Margaret McCabe (nee McCans), at her beloved Barrieview Retirement Residence on Friday, January 13th, 2023 at the age of 90.  She joins her late husband, John McCabe, who passed away in 2006, mother Violet, father Herbert and brother Robert. Virginia was a mother to five, grandmother to twelve, great-grandmother to thirteen, and friend to many.  As her children grew so did her family, as Mom welcomed new sons and a daughter through marriage and partnership until her ‘kids’ totaled 43.  She was bestowed with the name of “Gumma” by her first grandchild and it stayed with her throughout the generations and for the rest of her life.  Mom grew up on the family farm near Rosseau and her rich life experiences took her to Barrie, Orangeville, the cottage on Lake Rosseau, Bracebridge and finally back to Barrie after the passing of her loving husband John.

Throughout her life Mom had many friends and many diverse interests.  Sewing, knitting, embroidery and painting gave her many hours of joy and she loved to share her talents in the form of gifts with family and friends. Many of those creations have turned into family heirlooms and those legacies will be cherished from generation to generation.  Mom artfully sewed each of her daughters’ wedding dresses.  One of the special highlights for the family were her amazing butter tarts, which she dutifully baked in huge quantities for every large family gathering.

While in Orangeville, her years working for Dr. Thomas Frater were some of her most memorable. She and Dad loved spending time with friends at the local curling rink.  She enjoyed golfing and had a hole-in-one trophy that her sons didn’t – and she delighted in that.  Mom loved her swim exercise gang in Bracebridge where she made many new and lifetime friends, and her yoga classes in Barrie with the Nautica gang. Mom loved to travel and see the sights she had dreamed of as a child. She found her trips throughout Canada, the US, Hawaii and Europe to be both enjoyable and educational, and she was interested in people of many different backgrounds and cultures. Virginia was a member of the Eastern Star in Barrie and The Shrine Club in Bracebridge.

Mom leaves what she thought of as her greatest legacy, her ‘kids’.  She was mother to Debbie French (Paul), Sandy Parker (Jamie), Anne Wilson (Larry), Ginny Wilson (Brian) and John McCabe (Diane).  She was “Gumma” to David French (Tania), Andrew French (Tanya), Amanda Emerton (Chris), Matthew Parker (Ella), Becky Wilson-Whitten (Shawn), Nicky Fifield (Blake), Alanna Wilson, Brianna Wilson, Jonathan Wilson (Erin), Aaron McCabe, Jessica Jeune (Zachary), and Chloe McCabe.  Dear to her heart and her pride and joy are her Great Grandchildren, Erika, Owen, Connor, Jacob, Jack, Cole, William, Beau, Pearl, Tarah, Keeghan, Braelynn, and Isla.  Mom also leaves her Sister-in-law Joan McCans and five beloved nieces and nephews and their families.

A celebration of Virginia’s life will take place in the spring, after which she will be buried alongside her husband near the village of Rosseau, her hometown and a place that she has kept in her heart since her earliest memories.

We would like to send our thanks to Dr Tung Barnett for her attentive care, and the warm and wonderful staff at The Barrieview whose loving care allowed Mom to remain in her happy place that she loved.

In Virginia’s memory donations may be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital 1003 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, H4A 0A9 (www.shrinerschildrens.org)