Obituaries

IRENE MITCHELL

Irene Mitchell was born on June 1, 1948, in Toronto, and from the beginning seemed fairly determined to do life exactly her own way.

Raised in Toronto with her older siblings Anne and Robert by parents who probably had no idea what they were unleashing on the world, Irene grew into a fiercely intelligent, deeply compassionate, occasionally stubborn, and gloriously unconventional woman who refused to live quietly or think small.

On September 9, 1978, she married her soulmate, Bill Ross. She did not take his last name, because feminism was not a phase, thank you very much. Together they built a life in Thunder Bay, where they raised Fiona and Graeme in a household full of books, opinions, canoe gear, and the constant hum of Irene organizing and planning.

Irene had an aggressively Type A personality that somehow managed to be both deeply admirable and mildly terrifying. She approached life with sunscreen, a Tilley hat, strong opinions, and the unwavering belief that her granola recipe had been perfected.

She turned the family front yard into a garden because grass was boring, and flowers were better. Summers often involved paddling through Quetico Provincial Park, where she happily embraced bugs, bad weather, questionable portages, and whatever adventure came next. In the winter, she could often be found downhill skiing, charging down hills with the same intensity and determination she brought to every other part of her life.

Professionally, Irene spent her life trying to make systems fairer and more humane. She worked as a social worker, police complaints commissioner, and later as a land claims negotiator for the Province of Ontario. She believed deeply in justice, advocacy, and doing work that mattered, even when it was difficult.

Her greatest joy, however, was her family. She was a loving wife to Bill, proud mother to Fiona (Nick) and Graeme (Nancy), and an adoring grandmother to Valerie, Atlas, and Flora, who inherited at least some combination of her curiosity, determination, and inability to do things the boring way.

Irene will be remembered for her sharp mind, strong opinions, adventurous spirit, love of good food and wild places, and complete unwillingness to become conventional just because society expected it. She lived fully, argued passionately, laughed loudly, loved deeply, and left behind stories that will absolutely continue to be retold, sometimes accurately.

She will be missed enormously. Friends of Irene can honour her by spending time outdoors, planting some flowers, or donating on her behalf to Parkinson Canada. A celebration of Irene’s life will take place in Winnipeg at a future date, likely involving strong opinions, good food, and stories told loudly.