Obituary of Mary "Jean" Parker

After an active and purposeful life, Jean died at her home on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the age of 89, with her beloved sister Gwen and devoted daughters Anne and Christine lovingly caring for her. Jean was curious, generous and engaged and her absence will be felt by many in Saskatchewan and beyond.

Her early years were spent in Holdfast, Saskatchewan, where her father was the town doctor. In the mid-1930’s, the family moved to Regina, where Jean attended Davin Elementary School and Central Collegiate. After high school, Jean attended the University of Toronto for a short time, where she was reacquainted with a young man from Regina named Doug Parker. Jean and Doug were married in 1951 and together they raised six children in a loving and busy household in Regina.

Jean dealt with the challenges of family life with grace and good humour.  She was a devoted mother who ensured that her children had a broad range of experiences as they grew into adults. She also instilled a sense of duty in her kids, reminding them they were members of the wider community and had a responsibility to others.     

Jean was intellectually curious, the type of person who would walk through a snowstorm to attend a lecture. When the kids were older, she turned an upstairs bedroom into a study.  She could be found there every night, reading and writing, doing her homework for the University of Regina arts degree (majoring in religious studies) that she would earn in her 60s.

Jean had many enthusiasms. She loved her garden, enjoyed birding, and played a pretty good game of bridge. Like her mother and her sister, Jean was fond of Scrabble, approaching the game in the cooperative manner that disappointed the more competitive members of her family. But Jean didn’t care - she wanted everyone to do well. Jean was physically active well into her 80s, and just a few years ago considered incorporating martial arts into her thrice-weekly workout. She decided against it – too hard on the joints.

Jean was a prodigious reader with a vast library, and was a member of a book club for many years. She held a passport worthy of a diplomat; China, Russia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia and Mongolia were among the countries she visited. When she travelled, Jean kept meticulous notes complete with little sketches of things that she saw. Jean felt blessed to have the opportunity to roam the world.  

Jean was active in a number of community organizations, including Regina Palliative Care and Regina Multi-Faith, her involvement driven by her compassion and deep Christian faith. She was a member of Knox Metropolitan United Church for more than 60 years, serving on the board and several committees, making many friends along the way.

Jean was predeceased by her husband Doug; her parents Lillian and Dr. Charles McLean. She is remembered by her sister Gwen McLean, who was Jean’s primary caregiver and ministered to her sister’s needs with much love and tenderness; her children Bill (Judy), Christine, Thom (Bev), Anne, James (Jocelyn), and Grant (Lori); her grandchildren Grant (Megan), Erica (Angus), David (Maddie), Emily, Shauna (Werner) Alison, Jackson, Madeline, Andrew, Gabrielle, Libby and Josh; and her great grandchildren Brooklyn, Jillian and Nash.

The family is thankful to all those who visited Jean during the last few months and to the care provided by Dr. Nwalusi and the wonderful staff at Bayshore HealthCare.

Funeral Service will be held at Knox Metropolitan United Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Interment in Riverside Memorial Park. For those who wish to do so, donations may be made, in memoriam, to Regina Multifaith Forum, 207 – 4451 Nicurity Dr. Regina, SK S4X 0E5 Attn: Treasurer.