SUSAN SHAW

SHAW, SUSAN March 11, 1950 – March 17, 2019 We honour our beloved Susan Shaw, who had just turned age 69, on a happy exploration of Spain with her loving husband and best friend, Beare.

Susan died in peace, suddenly, March 17th, with Beare and their children by her side. Susan’s lifelong commitment to social justice, to growing communities and protecting families, was the foundation for her decades of work at the Parkdale Community Legal Service and the Parkdale Community Health Centre in Toronto. She was the best councillor the city of Toronto never had, but she never stopped working for change to improve the lives of women, marginalized people and newcomers.

Susan and Beare started a very different new life in Kingston in 1998. Susan will be remembered by many guests who stayed at their Frontenac Club Inn, entertaining them with warm hospitality and genial and genuine curiosity about them and their experiences in Kingston. As a proud ambassador and advocate for the Kingston region, Susan was a longtime participant in Kingston Accommodation Partners and passed on to the world her passion for the history and natural beauty and diverse attractions of her new community.

Susan is survived by her partner of 50 years, Beare Weatherup, their daughter Jessica and their son Tim, his partner Yannik and their children Dominique and Felix. She leaves her sisters Wendy and Ann (Ian) all of Northern Ireland, her mother-in-law Helen Weatherup and her Weatherup sisters and brothers-in-law, Barb and Frank, John and Vena and Beverly, as well as nieces and nephews. She leaves many broken-hearted friends, including her high school friends from Kitchener, her Toronto and especially Parkdale pals, and her Kingston cohort. All of us who love her will miss her passion for life, her gift for storytelling, her wicked sense of humour and her devotion to her family and her community.

Donations in Susan’s memory can be sent to Joe’s M.I.L.L. A memorial service will be planned for the Spring.