Obituary of Joline Ann Freund
June 12, 1937 - April 2, 2025
With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Joline Ann Freund (nee Root) on April 2, 2025, at Freeport Hospital, in her 88th year. Predeceased by her parents, May and Frank Root and her husband, John Arthur Freund of Waterloo, Ontario. Survived by her daughter, Sherry Freund, and her husband, Christian Lemke, of Waterloo, Ontario, her son, Jeff Freund, and his wife, Martha MacEachern, of Barrie, Ontario and her grandchildren, Sean Lemke, of Waterloo, Ontario and Maddy Garvey of Calgary, Alberta. Predeceased by her brother, Charles Root, of Wilmington, North Carolina. She will be fondly remembered by her nieces and nephews, Kelly, Craig, Mary, Brian, Matt and Chris and her step-grandchildren, Ryan and Shane.
Joline was born in Luton, England on June 12, 1937 to parents, May and Frank Root. The Roots moved often during Joline’s childhood, living in both Eastern Canada and various locations in Central Canada before settling in Campbellford, Ontario. Joline left home for Toronto to study Fashion at Ryerson Technical Institute, graduating in 1958 and continuing to study at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Education, graduating in 1960. She moved to Kitchener, Ontario to teach at KCI and soon met her husband, John Freund, marrying in 1961. She returned to school after raising her two children to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1980. Joline taught Family Studies, History and was a part-time Librarian, for the Waterloo Region District School Board from 1960 -1962 (KCI), 1967- 68 (Grand River C.I.), and 1980-1996 (Waterloo-Oxford S.S.). She also taught Fashion courses at night school for the WRDSB for many years. Joline was always ahead of her time as an educator, graduating as a technical teacher as one of only two women in her graduating class, teaching about a variety of family structures during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s in a rural school, taking her sheltered, small town Fashion students on field trips to Toronto to see designer factories and art museums, and tirelessly fighting for women’s and workers’ rights through her involvement with OSSTF District 24.
Joline continued to be a politically savvy activist and creative fashion/yarn artist and was an active participant in the community during her retirement years. She was a member of the Waterloo County Quilters’ Guild, The Canadian Federation of University Women and was a founding member of The Women’s Probus Club of Waterloo. She prided herself on the many charity quilts she donated to hospitals and hospices in the region. Both she and John were members of the Canadian Kennel Club and the Canadian West Highland White Terrier Club where they travelled extensively in their motorhome across Canada and the U.S. while Joline showed her two “Westies” to Canadian and American Championships, winning many show awards, including two Best in Shows. The isolation of the COVID years and the eventual onset of mixed vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia destroyed a brilliant mind and personality, and the last several years have marked a long goodbye to the Joline we once knew.
Many, many thanks to the wonderful staff and caregiving team at Terrace on the Square in Waterloo, where Joline lived for the last nine months, and to the caring doctors and nurses at both Grand River Hospital and Freeport Hospital where she spent her last days.
To honour Joline’s wishes, cremation has taken place with a private family gathering and interment to take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society, Reception House Waterloo Region (supporting government-assisted refugees in Waterloo Region) or Spectrum Waterloo Region’s Youth Under the Rainbow (serving 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in our community) through the Erb and Good Funeral Home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445