Jean died peacefully after a brave battle with cancer on August 27th, 2026, in Victoria, BC, cutting short the life of a most loving, caring and generous person. Jean was born December 8, 1952, in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Jean is survived by her husband, Bob, and her children Heather (Mark) Arkell, Laura (Trent) Dooley and Carolyn (James) Macdonald; grandchildren Madison Dooley, Mikayla Dooley, Laurel Arkell, Eli Arkell and Lark Macdonald. She will be sorely missed by many other relatives and friends.
Jean grew up in Niagara Falls and moved to Toronto to attend the Shaw Business College. When visiting a friend attending the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Jean and Bob first met at a dance on March 18, 1972. That meeting led to their marriage following Bob’s graduation. Jean and Bob were married for over 51 years. After they married, they lived in Toronto for a few years where Jean worked as a legal secretary. They then moved to Calgary in 1977 where they raised their family. Jean and Bob then moved to Victoria in 2007 where they have resided since.
Jean was blessed with five grandchildren whom she loved dearly and brought her incredible joy. She was Grandma Jean to all her grandchildren except the youngest grandchild, Lark, who gave Jean the name Gia.
Jean was most skilled at sewing and crafts and produced many beautiful quilts, purses and bags. Jean enjoyed her weekly walks and bicycle rides with her friends. Most other days she would walk with Bob, always with a coffee destination in mind. Jean enjoyed playing social bridge with her girlfriends and with other couples. Jean was an avid reader of murder mystery novels and Jean and Bob enjoyed watching murder mystery shows together in the evening. She loved doing puzzles and crosswords. While in Calgary, Bob and Jean attended many Calgary Stampeder games. This love of the Canadian Football League continued after moving to Victoria and many hours were spent with Bob in watching games every weekend. Jean spent many hours tending to her beautiful backyard gardens which grew well with her love and attention. Jean excelled in the kitchen and loved to bake and make preserves from the vegetables grown in her garden.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC, on Thursday, September 3rd at 3:00 pm. In honour of Jean, we invite you to wear a touch of purple, Jean’s favourite colour.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation – Cancer Care or to the BC Cancer Foundation.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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