Aileen was born on a farm in the King City area, Ontario area, the second oldest of Margaret and Lewis Earle Scott’s twelve children. She channelled her early beginnings into a lifelong love of gardening - she was composting scraps years before it became fashionable. Her prowess with plants and flowers resurrected many seemingly dead plants brought to her by despairing friends and family, and you may be sure she never passed by a planter or pot (at restaurants, neighbours, strangers’ homes) where she wouldn’t reach in automatically to deadhead a needy bloom or leaf, even from her wheelchair near the end. She always had several beautiful blooming pots on the cottage deck in the summers to enhance an already breathtaking view.

A Grade 1 teacher before she married the love of her life Bill Jamieson in 1954, Aileen loved being with and teaching children. Family was very important to her, and she delighted when kids, grand and great grand kids came to visit and she could show them new games, things about food, nature, etc. She was a dedicated volunteer and an active choir and United Church Women (UCW) member in all the churches she joined as she moved back and forth from Florida to Mississauga to Muskoka. She loved all kinds of handiwork – sewing, knitting, crocheting, smocking, quilting, and more. She could do it all, always while talking with friends or watching tv. She didn’t like to waste time ‘just doing nothing’ and everyone (not just her children) knew never to complain about being bored, because she could quickly find work for them that needed to be done.

A healthy lifestyle was important to Aileen, and she loved walking each day, no matter the weather. She wasn’t a strong swimmer but could be found in the summer doing a gentle breast-stroke short distances from the dock and back, just to ‘get her swim’ in for the day. But perhaps her biggest claim to fame was being an extreme health-food nut, so that we all have her mantra of ‘no sugar, salt or fat!’ ingrained in our memories and her voice in our heads, especially as we reach for the burgers and fries. Amazingly, however, despite her praiseworthy food choices, she still agreed to make prize-winning pies and tarts which could outstrip any others, even though it was with the ‘dreaded’ lard and sugar. Everyone knew to look for her signature mark on the top crust (a mark used by her mother as well) so they could get the best pie at the potluck or bake sale and not accidentally get stuck with an inferior choice.

Aileen was loved and treasured by her family and had a strong 58-year marriage with her husband Bill where they spent summers at the cottage, travelled widely throughout the world, and had many groups of friends that continued to get together for decades, always with storytelling, singing and laughter. Hers was a life well-lived. Who doesn’t want to have that said, at the end?

Remembering Aileen with love are her four children and spouses, seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters, her three surviving sisters, and numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and good friends. She was predeceased by her husband William (Bill) Jamieson, seven brothers, one sister, many in-laws, and many, many friends. Imagine the grand celebration held in heaven when she arrived that Sunday evening!

A private interment will be held at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made in Aileen’s name to either Bala United Church (P.O.Box 313, Bala, ON P0C 1A0 E-transfer to: balauc@bellnet.ca ) or Erindale United Church (https://.www.erindaleunited.church/givings-and-support E-transfer to: churchoffice@erindaleunited.church ). For the E-transfer to either church, please indicate that it is in memory of Aileen Jamieson and please include your name and email or mailing address. Or, you may also donate to the charity of your choice.