Connie Pearson

Dorothy Constance (Connie) Pearson died peacefully in her home in Woodstock on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in her 84th year.

Connie was born in Sarnia, Ont., on March 27, 1942, the third of nine children born to and raised by Dorothy and George Disbrowe.

Connie met Arthur Pearson, the enduring love of her life, at a Sauble Beach dance in the summer of 1963. They were married the following winter. Together, they raised six children: Angela (Brad Zehr), Jennifer (Steve Eaton), Cyndy (John Jefferson), Jonathon (Kara Larochelle), Laura (Jason Lightheart), and Matthew (Alain Lauzon). They enjoyed the company of 18 grandchildren (Alyssa, Brayden (Melissa), Trent (Virginie), Spencer (Chiara), Jeff, Amy (Brian), Victoria (Brad), Paige (Matt), Nick (Kiana), Ashley, Mary, Jesset, Everett, Emma, Cassandra (Conor), Chevy (Novalynn), Zora and Zélie), as well as 11 great-grandchildren (Tykan, Lilli, Macey, Harper, Brooks, Blair, Saddie, Kenzie, Tennessi, Nolan and Memphis).

In addition to her large immediate family, Connie is survived by her siblings Janet, Mary Lou, Gina (Tony), Guy (Maria), Cathy and Beth (Ian). She is predeceased by her parents, in-laws Ambrose and Florence Pearson, younger sisters Sally Disbrowe and Angela Elie, and Zeb Chesney, the fiancé of her granddaughter Alyssa.

Connie took pride in her home. While she was in the hospital recently, her family prepared the apartment for her return; certain pieces of furniture were moved out or relocated to make way for a hospital bed. Once she was settled at home, Connie made some tweaks, asking for a statue to be moved here and a plant to be moved there, for instance, to satisfy her sharp design aesthetic.

Though Connie and Art had many adventures over 61 years of marriage, it was the summers they spent together on the Bruce Peninsula – in Lion’s Head, Pike Bay, and Sauble Beach – that brought them the greatest joy. Tapawingo, as their cottage in Pike Bay was called, and a trailer in Sauble’s north end were the scenes of many family celebrations, as well as quiet times for the two of them.

Connie dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to the Women’s Emergency Centre (now known as Domestic Abuse Services Oxford), beginning as a volunteer at the first shelter on Lawrason Street and later as a full-time frontline worker. With open arms and steady care, she helped provide safety to countless women fleeing domestic violence in her community. She retired in June 1998.

Connie enjoyed concerts and live theatre, and was fortunate to see the likes of Cher and Leonard Cohen live, as well as the first Toronto productions of The Lion King and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. She also enjoyed visiting the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and the National Gallery of Canada.

In her later years, Connie loved watching the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs, cheering on many young hockey players she had watched years before when they played for the Owen Sound Attack, a Junior A team.

After more than a year of increasing stomach pain and unexplained weight loss, Connie was diagnosed in May with metastatic ovarian cancer, a type of cancer for which there is no reliably effective screening tool. She and her family are grateful to the following people for their compassionate care: Dr. Lui, Dr. Almane, Dr. Horgan-Bell, Dr. MacLeod, Dr. Kujawa, Dr. Chang, the nursing staff in the 2300-unit at Woodstock General Hospital, Dr. Kulkarni, Dr. Jamal and members of the Palliative Care Outreach Team, in particular the kind and steadfast nurse Jinu John. Connie was also incredibly fond of and loyal to her hairdressers of many years (Marty, Joni and Sarah at Eleganz) and esthetician (Zena Robinson).

A celebration of Connie’s life will be held in Woodstock on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. Family will welcome visitors from 1-2 p.m. at the Brock and Visser Funeral Home (845 Devonshire Ave.).

Donations in Connie’s name can be made to Domestic Abuse Services Oxford (https://daso.ca/donate/).

However, you could also choose to slip a $10 bill into the hand of someone in your community who needs a bit of help – that’s what Connie often did.

She was loved – as a sister, daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother – and she will be missed. Our lives are richer because of Connie.