ALLAN, BEVERLY, CAROLINE AND FAMILLIES SENDING YOU CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF YOUR MOM. MRS MCCHESNEY WAS A WONERDFULL LADY, A GREAT NEIGHBOR AS WERE ALL THE MCCHESNEY’S. WE ARE ALL A BETTER PERSON FOR KNOWING HER. LOTS OF GREAT MEMORIES FROM ALEXANDER AVENUE.
LUCINDA ISABELLE MCCHESNEY,
2021
MCCHESNEY, Lucinda Isabelle, 1922 – 2018: It is with much love that we remember Isabelle McChesney, who passed away peacefully in the company of family members on December 31, 2018 at Extendicare in Kirkland Lake. Isabelle was born to parents Lucinda and Frederick Orton in Davidson, Saskatchewan. In the youth of her 96 years, she experienced farm life on the prairies during the Great Depression, as one of nine children. Later the family moved to Vancouver Island, where her father farmed on “Jinglepot Road” and built ships during World War ll. She studied education, and first taught on Texada Island off the B.C. coast in a one-room school house. While there, she became a published poet, contributing to a local anthology of poems. Here she met her husband-to-be Bob McChesney at a social for armed forces personnel. After the war, she and husband Bob moved from Vancouver with baby Douglas to Kirkland Lake. They had three more children together: Allan, Beverley, and Caroline – and she was fond of saying that having her children was the greatest thing she ever did. She had a successful teaching career and later served on the Kirkland Lake School Board for more than 20 years. She was very active in Trinity United Church, serving as Presbytery Rep, and was a long-time executive member of the United Church Women. An accomplished cook, her meat pies and shortbread were hot items at the church’s bazaars (and the family table). Isabelle was athletic as well, something she passed on to her grandchildren. As a youth she was a track and field champion, and as an adult she had a wicked golf drive. She was President of the Ladies’ section of the Kirkland Lake Golf Club. Isabelle had a great love of nature and animals, and always enjoyed the company of her pet cats. This love of nature may have inspired her and Bob to purchase the camp they had taken their children to for years, which became McChesney Northshore Acres on Round Lake. Bob and Isabelle thoroughly enjoyed the trips they made as part of Bob’s official duties as Dominion president of the Royal Canadian Legion. Together they went to such places as St. Lucia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Many of these trips involved formal banquets and Isabelle always looked resplendent in the beautiful clothes she made herself. Isabelle ably assisted Bob on these formal occasions – including being assigned as Prince Philip’s dining partner in the seating arrangement at the Legion Commonwealth dinner in Australia. She was also a guest of honour at the baptism of Prince Floris of the Netherlands where Bob had been asked to be godfather. Bob was very proud of how his beautiful wife carried herself at these events and she was his trusted speech editor. Isabelle was pre-deceased by her husband, Robert David (Bob) McChesney, her son Douglas McChesney and daughter-in-law, Betty-Lou, her 8 brothers and sisters, Louise Cavani(Danny), William Orton (Beverly), Lorraine Calhoun (Chuck), Albert Orton, Edwin Orton (Iris), Irene Friberg, Ruth Koster(Len), and Keith Orton, in-laws Bill and Geraldine McChesney, Bess and Harry Newington, Irene McChesney, Mae and George Black, Emma and Ed Rae, and Grace and Bill Sparrow. Her memory will be cherished by her surviving children, Allan McChesney (Michele Chittenden), Beverley McChesney-Rumble, and Caroline McChesney (Julian Dudley), grandchildren James McChesney (Tanya), Lucinda Gelinas (Raymond), Keri McFarling (Jason), Allana Rumble, Robert (Gordon) McChesney (Maria), Angelina Rumble, Ciaran Dudley, Alexandra McChesney and great-grandchildren Robert and Julia Gelinas, Justice, Isabelle, Adelaide, Milania, Robert (Bobby) McChesney, Logan, Abby-Lyn and Hunter McFarling, in-laws Gail Orton and Bob Friberg and her many nieces and nephews. Thank you to the staff of Extendicare who gave Isabelle excellent care. The Celebration of Life for staff and residents at Extendicare is January 26 at 1:30 p.m. Burial is at the Kirkland Lake Cemetery, May 25 at 10:00 a.m..All are invited to Isabelle’s Funeral and Celebration of Life at Trinity United Church, Saturday, August 3, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Graveside Service at Kirkland Lake Cemetery and Remembrance Luncheon at Trinity United Church. Flowers may be delivered to Trinity United Church at 51 Duncan St. South. Donations in memory of Isabelle can be made to Trinity United Church, P.O. Box 512, Kirkland Lake, ON, P2N 3J5. Offer Condolence for the family of Lucinda Isabelle McChesney