Obituary of Mary Coats

COATS, Mary (nee BOOTH) It is with broken hearts and wonderful memories that we announce the passing of Mary Coats, 87, on Sunday, January 24, 2021, at her residence in The Village of Riverside Glen, Guelph, Ontario. Born in Toronto on July 31, 1933, Mary was the youngest daughter of Winnifred (Hanley) and Samuel Booth. She was predeceased by her husband Jim Coats and by her sisters Beryl, Peggy and Jeanne. Her sister Winnie lives in Vancouver. No description of Mary's full and happy life would be complete without many repetitions of the word "loved." She loved her husband, Jim. They married when she was 19 and he remained the love of her life until his passing in May 2019. She loved her seven children, twenty-five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and countless nieces and nephews. She was the world's most-loved mother-in-law. She loved to dance, and even after dementia robbed her of her memories, she could still sing songs from her favourite Broadway musicals. She loved Christmas and parties – especially family parties – at which her famous homemade butter tarts were always a highlight, and she never turned down a request to bake them. She loved summers at Bangor Lodge, winter visits to Florida, and being with her children no matter where they were. She loved romance novels, the Toronto Blue Jays, and playing and watching golf. She loved to laugh and she loved to tell jokes, even if the punchlines were often obscured by her own uncontrollable laughter. She loved her years as manager of classified advertising with the North York Mirror, and the generations of students that she and Jim befriended while working at Anderson-Coats Photography at the University of Guelph. Mary and Jim loved their Rexdale, Snowcrest and Magnolia Lane neighbours, and the many lifelong friends they made through forestry, square dancing and University of Toronto – especially Ken and Joan Higgs, who were as close as family. Mary's soft, gentle voice saying "Don't forget we love you" will be missed every day by her children Lynne (Larry), Rick (Sandy), Jenny (Bruce), Sam (Peggy), David (Jennifer), Stephen, and Elizabeth. Cremation has taken place. You are invited to share your memories of Mary at www.gilchristchapel.com When it is safe to gather again, Mary's family and friends will celebrate her life with something she would have loved – a Party. Service Information Requested Charity Alzheimer Society