ELLEN
EILEEN McGREGOR
(née
McDonald) Ellen passed away suddenly, in her
85th year, at Sisters of Charity Hospital,
St. Joseph Campus, in Cheektowaga, New York,
on October 15, 2009.
Ellen was born on
August 17, 1924 in Toronto, Ontario to
Victoria Alberta Beatrice Sanderson
(daughter of Mary Amelia Lundy and Leonard
Sanderson) and Ernest Emerson McDonald (son
of Edwin McDonald and Ellen McDermott). She
was the second eldest in a family of six
children. Shortly after her birth, the
family moved to Cooksville, Ontario where
they lived on a farm for twenty years and
her father owned and operated Jersey's Ltd.
in Toronto, Ontario.
Ellen was a keen
horsewoman and talented pianist who as a
child competed at the Peel Music Festival.
She was a member of Cooksville United Church
where she participated in the Church choir
and taught Sunday school. She graduated from
Shaw College which led to a job in banking
at the Royal Bank of Canada in Cooksville,
Ontario in 1942.
After moving to a
further banking job in Toronto, Ontario,
Ellen began to pursue her real career
interest, that being radio and television
broadcasting. She worked as a television
production secretary at CKCL in Toronto and
this job led her to a position in the Radio
Traffic department of CFRB and finally as
Traffic Manager at CKCO Television. It was
at CFRB that she met the love of her life
Bill McGregor whom she married on December
31, 1950 and was married for 59 wonderful
years.
Bill and Ellen moved
to the K-W area in 1953 and have remained
there throughout their married life with the
exception of their many travels to other
parts of the world; a hobby that Ellen
thoroughly enjoyed. Ellen was a remarkable
lady who brought joy and laughter into many
people's lives. She devoted her married life
to supporting her family. A talented
seamstress, enthusiastic gardener,
horsewoman, pianist, decorator, cottager and
homemaker, she touched the lives of others
with her generosity and love. Nothing was
ever too much effort for her and she was
always there to provide a helping hand. Her
sense of humour, enjoyment of people and
pets will be sorely missed by all who had
the opportunity to know her.
Ellen will be lovingly
remembered by her devoted husband, Bill
McGregor; her daughter, Kelly McGregor;
son-in-law, Keith Gillespie; her two
cherished grandchildren, Kathryne and Robbie
Gillespie; her sister, Shirley McDonald; her
brother, Harold McDonald; her
brother-in-law, Bruce McGregor; her
sisters-in-law, Mary Lou Watson, Pauline
McGregor and Barbara McGregor; her
brother-in-law, Leslie Canivet (a Hong Kong
War Veteran); as well as numerous nieces,
nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and
friends. Ellen was predeceased by her
mother, Victoria (Sanderson) and father,
Ernest McDonald; her sister, Mary Canivet
(McDonald); brothers, Ernie McDonald and Ron
McDonald; and her brother-in-law, Ivan
McGregor.
Ellen's family will
receive relatives and friends at the Erb
& Good Family Funeral Home , 171 King
St. S., Waterloo on Tuesday, October 20,
2009 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The funeral
service will follow in the chapel at 1:30
p.m. A private interment will follow the
service. As expressions of sympathy,
donations in memory of Ellen to the Heart
and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Kitchener
Chapter or the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA
Foundation would be appreciated.
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