Obituary of Pauline Elizabeth Agar

AGAR, Pauline Elizabeth (nee Ross) - It is with great sadness that the family of Pauline Elizabeth Agar announce her passing on January 24th, 2021 after a long battle with dementia, at the age of 88 years. Pauline will be lovingly remembered by her 4 daughters: Sheryl, Karen, Diane and Julia (Judy), several grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Also, she leaves two loving sisters: Margaret Cookson and Julia Burgess as well as a large number of nieces and nephews. Pauline was predeceased by her loving husband John Henry (Harry) and her parents James and Julia Ross, and her brother James Travis Ross. As to her wishes, and Covid restrictions, there will be no public memorial service. Pauline worked at the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital as an RNA from the age of 16 until she retired at age 55. She was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, moved to Fogo, Newfoundland when she retired, where she lived for 18 years, and then returned to St. Thomas. Mom loved playing bingo and cards, but she didn’t like to lose! She was proud of her beautiful flower gardens and spent hours planting, replanting and having her grandsons move huge rocks from one place to another, then back to the original spot. She used to sit for hours, weeding, and then would ask for help to get up. One son in law (Bill) asked why we couldn’t just leave her there for a garden gnome! She loved to plan trips for the next year, or year after. Another son in law (Ross) told her that at her age, she shouldn’t even be buying green bananas! Mom enjoyed knitting and rug hooking. She taught her grandsons to do renovations, so that she had free labour. She had beautiful skin right into her 80’s. She was a walking advertisement for Avon face cream. She loved to spend money and always bought anything on sale in quantities of three. She taught one grandson that they should always go and stay in the bathroom for a while directly after eating, thus avoiding having to do the dishes. A trick she learned herself when very young (this didn’t please her siblings). She loved country music, especially the old classics, and watched movies with the grandkids over and over again, from Disney to Stephen King, which at times were not age appropriate! She also looked forward to Christmas and her birthday, because she loved getting gifts. She felt that on her girls’ birthdays, she should also get gifts because we wouldn’t be there if not for her. Mom had a Clydesdale horse named Sandy that she rode each day from their farm to the country school. Sandy would wait in the yard all day for school to be finished and take her back home. Not quite sure who was responsible for cleaning up the horse poop. I doubt that it was mom. So many memories. The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Elgin Manor, St. Thomas as well as Beattie Manor Retirement Residence in Wardsville for their loving care and support through our mother’s stay. Arrangements entrusted to the Shawn Jackson Funeral Home, 31 Elgin Street, St Thomas (519-631-0570). Cremation has taken place. There will be a private family interment at Burdick Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to a local animal shelter in Pauline’s name. Personal condolences can be made at www.sjfh.ca