Obituary of Ann Eby

Ann Eby passed away peacefully on May 27, 2013. Ann was born Patricia Ann Samson at St. Joseph's Hospital in Toronto on October 23, 1958. The daughter of Joe and Fran Samson, Ann spent her early years living in various cities throughout Ontario as part of a growing family. The second of five children (Mary Ellen, Ted, Jane (Wilson) and Joan (Sybersma), Ann's passion was sports and in particular gymnastics. While attending the University of Waterloo and earning her coop degree in Mathematics, Ann was also a member of the University of Waterloo Varsity Women's Gymnastics Team. During her years at the University of Waterloo, Ann won seven CIAU (now CIS) national championship medals, including the 1979 Women's CIAU All Around title. Ann is a member of the University of Waterloo Athletics Hall of Fame and a winner of both the Dean of Women's Award and the Mike Moser Award. While at the University of Waterloo, Ann met and married Kevin Eby, starting what would be a 32 year partnership. After her competitive gymnastics career, Ann moved on to coaching at McMaster University, earning a Friend of Distinction Award for her services there. Following university, Ann achieved her Chartered Accountant (CA) designation, taught for several years at Conestoga College and practiced with a number of accounting firms, most notably MDKS in Waterloo. She was a golfer, a curler, a tennis player, a patron of the arts and a friend who could always be counted on. But her real success in life was being a mother, beginning with the birth of Sammy in 1991. This was followed four years later with the birth of her second daughter Shannon and from then on, whether it was homework, school activities, dance, soccer, gymnastics, horseback riding, swimming, curling or field hockey, Ann was always there for both of them. While busy both as a parent and as a CA, Ann still found time to contribute to the community, serving 10 years on the Board of Family and Children Services. In 2005, Ann was stricken with colon cancer, starting what would be seven and a half years filled with multiple surgeries and over sixty chemo treatments. But Ann refused to let her life be defined by the disease, instead she accepted it and simply kept on living. It was a long journey to the end, but she traveled it with such courage, grace and dignity that she was an inspiration to everyone she met. In the past several years Ann rededicated herself to another passion, quilting, when she started volunteering with Victoria Quilts, an organization that provides quilts for cancer patients. Ann, Kevin, Sammy and Shannon would like to extend our sincere thanks to our respective families and the friends and neighbours that sustained us through it all, particularly Marianne and Iain (without whom we would never have made it), Laura, Phyllis, Anita, Les and Sheila, Christa and Mirko, Sheila and Jeff, Chris and Valerie, Tonya, the staff at Resurrection CSS, Hospital Dog and the dozens and dozens of others that supported us with food, rides, thoughts and prayers. We would also like to sincerely thank the staff and volunteers at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and on the 6th floor of Grand River Hospital (whom we saw far too often) for the unbelievable support we received. You are all truly saints in our eyes. In particular we would like to thank Dr. Bahl and her assistants whose smiles, sense of humour and constant support helped sustain Ann year after year after year. Friends are invited to share their memories of Ann with her family during visitation at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Sunday, June 2, 2013 from 1-4 & 6-8 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes, 173 Lourdes St., Waterloo on Monday, June 3, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. with the Monsignor Edward Sheridan presiding. The reception is to follow in the church hall. This community is truly blessed with the presence of the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and organizations like Victoria Quilts, and Family and Children Services, all of which deserve our strong and continued support. In celebration of Ann's life, donations to any or all of these three organizations would be greatly appreciated and may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street South, Waterloo at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.