March 3, 1938 - October 21, 2012
Jane passed away peacefully at her home in Courtenay, BC on October 21, 2012 at the age of 74, with her loving partner of eighteen years, Gord Pirie, at her side. During her lengthy battle with cancer, Jane was tenacious and incredibly resilient - never losing her spirit or sense of humour. She will be greatly missed by her four children Shelly Tognazzini, Scott Holmes (Jennifer), Shannon Holmes (Kristian), and Sean Holmes (Kristi) and their father Earl Holmes; grandchildren Liza, Jamie and Ries; brother Don MacGregor & his wife Wally, and Jane’s many nieces and nephews. She is recently predeceased by her younger sister Marnie Sutton.
Born and raised in Edmonton to Dr. John and Marjorie Macgregor, Jane had an incredible zest for life and an ever sunny disposition; those traits combined with her curious nature made her friends far and wide. Candid and always kind, Jane was an extremely sensitive, caring soul - people were simply drawn to her. She had a great lifelong passion for the arts, having played the piano and danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet as a young woman. Jane was also adaptable and industrious, possessing a remarkable work ethic. In the restaurants run by Jane and Earl in the BC interior, she simultaneously took on the roles of dining room manager, chief bottle washer and designer, sewing hundreds of metres of gold velvet curtains to dress up the joint (it was the 70’s after all). Later in life, settled in the lovely Comox Valley, Jane and Gord spent countless hours at Longlands Golf Course with their “golf gang” and any visiting family and friends. They adored the game, the socializing, and the spectacular scenery of the West coast. Jane was truly the heart of the family - deeply loved by one and all.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jane’s memory to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Condolences may be sent to the family at tributetojane@gmail.com. At her request, the family will be gathering in summer 2013 to commemorate Jane’s life and spread her ashes in the Shuswap Lake, alongside her dear sister Marnie.