Obituary of Gail Eva Beattie
It is with heavy hearts that we say, Gail Eva Beattie passed away at 78 years of age, on Friday March 1st at Trillium Hospital in Mississauga. Daughter of John and Barbara Noble, sister to John and Anne, cousin, aunt, god mother and a friend to many, she always brought light into people’s lives. She always cared more about others than herself, despite her battles with cancer. Gail will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. She was genuine, unique, smart and independent and she did not live beyond her means or demand the impossible. She was an animal lover, confidante and truly courageous and inspiring woman.
Her late husband, Doug, brought her happiness for decades before his passing, and she found love later in life with a partner, Phillip, whom she also survived. Gail rescued a cat from Ninth Life Cat Rescue, Stewie, a couple of years ago. Since then, she has done nothing but love him, ensure he was constantly groomed and ate the best food. Stewie is now with beloved family, making new friends.
Gail never stopped learning, loving, inspiring and helping her friends and family. She was a very stylish and opinionated person who had a quip for just about anything, with a smile that could melt the coldest hearts. No one will forget the times of comfort and safety she offered, the secrets she kept for us, and the shoulder she always leant us to cry on – even if she needed one herself. Gail was a glass-half-full kind of woman, full of fierce beauty, style and wisdom and she wasn’t afraid to let you know how she was feeling.
Her gluten-free diet made eating the right things difficult sometimes, but Gail never had a shortage of new recipes to try. She always had a handy list of ‘super foods’ or healthy recipes and would try as many as she could. She loved eating rice in multiple forms and she could really make an award-winning cup of rice if you asked. Gail loved her magazines, sometimes ones with inspiring messages and about general health and wellness, and sometimes she really enjoyed stuff about celebrities and the royal family. Her home was always warm and clean, and things she has owned for decades look as if they were purchased yesterday. Anyone who was visiting were shown routines for taking care of stuff around the house, to help keep things in tip-top shape. She also had a huge collection of Danielle Steele books at her fingertips, with that collection only growing since she bought a Kobo reader.
She believed in the power of ginger ale for helping a burned finger or an upset stomach. She believes in putting a mug of water in a microwave when it’s not being used, and wiping down shower walls immediately after a shower, to keep them pristine. As silly as these little things seem, they all have a purpose and they all work!
She loved to travel and make memories with loved ones. During this process of her passing, family and friends have found it difficult to find many photos, especially ones of her staying still. It was realized that, she was perfectly imperfect like these photos, and she was too busy enjoying her time to whip out a camera. She never had a problem smiling or posing for one, just wasn’t one to take pictures constantly. Naturally, we found a couple ‘perfect’ poses too. She always seemed to have a similar hair style over the years. Once she found something she liked, she stuck to it.
She believed in soaking up the moment, or in other times, taking a moment to breathe. On walks to Square One in the summer, she would stand on the sidewalk with her face up to the sky, eyes closed – she explained that this is how she got a couple of minutes of vitamin D and could really soak up that sunshine. She had so many albums on cassette, vinyl and CD from different artists, that she enjoyed daily. The radio is always on at her condo - so the cats don’t have to be alone and she didn’t have to come home to a quiet place.
She believed in trying to keep her chin up, and tried to encourage others to do the same. And of course, she had neighbours and friends in the building she loved to spend time with. She had family and friends she enjoyed going to the states with, going to bingo with, and she always made a point to try and make it to family events. She had a routine of daily phone calls with friends and family, whom are all having a hard time without those daily calls now.
However, Gail wouldn’t want her friends and family falling apart over her, as hard as it may seem. She instead, would want us celebrating her life, sharing colourful memories with family and friends, speaking kind words about her, and simply being there for one another. Gail may not have been very religious, but it had a special place in her heart. We can speak to her, even if we don’t hear an answer out loud, as she will always be in our hearts, and can answer us there.
Gail’s family invites you to join them in a Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 16th from 1-4pm in the Oak Room at St. John’s Dixie Cemetery and Crematorium, located at 737 Dundas St E, Mississauga. Guest parking for the memorial is available in the lot adjacent to the church. Once parked, please proceed through the cemetery gates to the main building.
In lieu of flowers in her memory, those who seek to send something are encouraged to donate in her name, to Ninth Life Cat Rescue (https://bit.ly/2EzmOkt) or to the Canadian Cancer Society. You may do so by clicking on the tabs on the homepage.
We invite you to share in memories, photos and sentiments of her life here at his Memorial Webpage.
Uniquely entrusted to eco Cremation and Burial Services Inc.
Life Celebrations. Done Differently.
