Jean Elizabeth Davies (Tite)

In loving memory ~

Jean Davies (Tite) of Spruce Grove, Alberta, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 9, 2024.

Jean was born on July 6, 1927 in Ipswich, Suffolk, where she spent her early years before she and her parents, Frederick Tite and Mabel Morley, settled in Cromer, Norfolk. It was in Cromer that Jean later met and married David Davies. The couple moved to nearby Aylsham, Norfolk, where they lived until 1957. In March of that year, they emigrated to Canada with their three young children, landing in Nova Scotia first but later moving to Montreal, Quebec where they settled into their life in a new country. Two more children were born in Montreal to complete the family.

Jean had a long and dedicated career working as a nurse at the Montreal General Hospital. Her nursing career also extended to the small elder care facility she managed from her own home. She was a hard worker who liked to be busy but she would always find time for a book. She was a voracious reader. She would pour through books on literature, history, biography, world events, and animal stories (she loved animals: dogs, cats, birds, horses, and wildlife, in general). In her 80s—and before she had corrective cataract surgery—Jean would read her books with a magnifying dome. Her appetite for books knew no bounds! She had an amazing memory and—even at the ripe old age of 97—would quote, out of the blue, an entire stanza from Shakespeare’s Henry V: “Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more!” She was quite remarkable and we will all miss her dearly.

Jean is survived by her children, Jeremy (France-Eve), Angela, Jonathan (Nora), Rosalind, and Richard (Wendy). She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Taiya, Neil, Lauren (Jared), Shannon (Tyler), and great-grandchildren, Veronica, Vanessa, Morgan, and Mereck. She is preceded in death by ex-husband, David Davies, and by longtime friend, Lou.

The family would like to extend a big thank you to the care givers and medical personnel at Westview Hospital in Stony Plain. The care Jean received while there for the last several weeks of her life was exemplary. The family also appreciates the many care aides who made it possible for Jean to stay in the comfort of home until she could not.