It is with great sadness that we, Lindsey’s family, share the following announcement:
In Loving Memory
Lindsey Martin-Penny
June 20, 1963 – July 21, 2022
Lindsey was taken from us much too soon by an aggressive, treatment resistant form of ovarian cancer. Lindsey was the wonderful wife and soulmate of Burke Penny, step-mother to Colin (Leah) and “Grandma” to Jocelyn and Gavin, sister of Dr. Jim Martin (Catie), aunt to Scott Martin (Jennifer) and Robin Martin-Godelie (Michael) and great aunt to Kai Martin, Oliver Godelie and Alice Godelie. Sister-in-law to Michael Penny (Ruth Ann) and aunt to Rachel and Fiona.
Lindsey graduated from the University of Toronto in 1987. She spent an interesting and enjoyable year at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Quebec acquiring her teaching diploma.
Throughout her life Lindsey was a creative person: a young artist, a talented vocalist and later pianist, and over the past decade an accomplished greeting card maker. She loved being part of the card making community and made many friends in Canada, the U.S. and other parts of the world. Some of these friendships went beyond virtual and she greatly enjoyed her in-person time with her “stamping friends”. She truly appreciated the loving support of all the card making fraternity over the past months.
Lindsey was a creative and inspiring teacher. Her 17-year career at several schools culminated as a teacher-librarian at Victoria Harbour Elementary School. This was her favourite. She was a lover of books and a fierce promoter of reading and literacy. As a young child she read constantly (even her older brother’s Mad magazines), a habit that continued throughout her life. She was a fan of crime fiction and science fiction but Charles Dickens was her favourite author. Her collection of his works in various forms, books about him, and items of Dickens ephemera is substantial and impressive. An original Star Trek aficionado, one of her life highlights was meeting William Shatner at a McGill University convocation party we attended with our graduating niece Rachel.
She was also a great gardener. What she could produce from tiny seeds was always amazing. Her seven-foot high tomato plants are testament to her very green thumbs. No bedraggled indoor plant was beyond saving and our home showed it. An inspiring cook, she loved creating in her red (of course) accented kitchen. Her love of cats was well known. Innumerable cat-themed shirts, socks, mugs, and other items were always prominent. Lindsey was also a lover of music – many styles and genres. But her favourite was Stephen Sondheim. Her CD of Sweeney Todd (starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury) was over the years the most played item in our collection.
Our thanks to the medical staff at the Cancer Centre in Barrie and at Georgian Bay General Hospital. Thanks also to the Home Care team and in particular to the nurses for their kindness. Special thanks and appreciation to Lindsey’s wonderful and caring doctor, McKenzie Blake. Lindsey specifically requested that there be no memorial service. Friends and family are invited to attend visitation at Nicholl’s Funeral Home, 330 Midland Avenue in Midland on Friday, July 29, 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. We hope you will come and take time to share stories of Lindsey’s life with family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, would be greatly appreciated.
