Obituary of Gwyneth Oburota
Gwyneth was born in Antigua on June 3, 1941 to Lee and Mildred Mitchell. She passed away on May 9, 2021 Mothers Day at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario. Gwyneth was the second eldest child of eleven children. Her siblings are Hilary, Lynette, Alvan, Adalia, Haniel, Hothan, Syntyche, Alaric, Judith and Almira.
Her father was a charismatic colporteur who sold educational and religious books and her mother was a devoted wife and mother who always helped those in need. She experienced many different people live in their home and eat at their table. Her mother taught them to treat everyone with respect and with dignity. These values followed her through life, she embodied them and engrained them into her children. She inherited the love of learning and reading from her father and the joy of helping others from her mother.
Gwyneth loved books and read extensively. She excelled in school and was known for being the smart one in the family. She graduated from school after taking the common entrance exam on a Sunday, although the test was previously administrated on Saturday. Being a devout Adventist, her father went to the prime minister and told him to change the exam day to Sunday, which he did for the entire island. She travelled to Trinidad in 1957 to attend CUC (Caribbean Union College) where she studied Education.
Teaching was natural for her; she said her father told her she would be a teacher when she was very young and her students loved her. She developed close bonds with many of them to this day. She taught elementary school In Antigua before transitioning to St Croix to continue her career. She moved to Canada to join some of her siblings and attended York University in 1975 to continue her education. She obtained a BA in Philosophy and began teaching for the Toronto District School Board. Most of her professional years were spent teaching elementary students however she also provided guidance for high school students at Bathurst Heights Secondary School for a number of years from 1985. The students there thrived when they were encouraged by her to pursue any course they desired. She taught ESL at night to adult students who loved her for her patience with them in learning English. She worked as the librarian at Victoria Park Secondary School where one of her daughters were enrolled.
After retiring from the Toronto District School Board, she became a legal assistant to a prominent Toronto lawyer. She served on the board of many non-profits like the Coalition of Women. Her passion for helping extended to business and philanthropic endeavors. She assisted many start ups and non-profits in writing proposals, writing and applying for grants, writing corporate constitutions and by-laws. Many of these companies she worked feverishly for, with only a promise of payment because she believed in their mission. Despite how many times she was left without after they received their grant checks, she continued to help.
Gwyneth was fascinated with learning new things and took many courses to educate herself in different areas. She taught herself to play the recorder, flute, the ukulele and loved music. The most notable would be in 2017, at age 70, she took a financial course to become an insurance broker to help people after learning about the importance of protecting your family in such situations. The difficulty of writing the exam coupled with the challenge of selling insurance showcased her immense resilience and grit in staying the course when so many other younger minds gave up.
Being creative, she enjoyed sewing, crocheting and knitting. She created hundreds of blankets, baby outfits, sweaters and other clothing. In later years, knitting became more than a hobby, more therapeutic whenever she was deep in thought.
Gwyneth’s pride were her children and grandchildren. She took their significant others as her own children. She fiercely loved her children and protected them to a fault. After separating from her first husband, she remained single for decades to protect her daughters. When they were both adults, she finally allowed herself another opportunity at love and married again at the age of 68.
Gwyneth carried herself with elegance and grace and was regarded as a role model. She had a peaceful spirit, a quick wit, and a questioning mind. A true lady. She was a romantic, who relished lively exchanges of ideas and enjoyed listening to and telling funny stories. She loved spending time with her family, immediate and extended. Throughout her life, Gwyneth cultivated and fostered many invaluable and long-lasting friendships. She knew how to make everyone feel at home. She was a trusted confidante who gave blunt, well thought-out guidance to many who relied on her presence of mind. She gave all that she had. She prayed day and night for her family and friends always concerned for their soul salvation, she would say. She was loved like no other by those who knew her best.
Gwyneth was generous to her family, friends, and many causes. Those who knew Gwen or met her, quickly recognized her gentle Christian spirit. She was an active member of many churches starting with Downsview Church under the leadership of Pastor Steve Cassimy. Working with him, the church grew from under 100 members to over 300 in one year. Over the course of 5 years, she was the pianist, choir director, church clerk and treasurer. She believed in spreading the gospel and worked with the late Sis. Davis to start many churches across Ontario. She loved the Lord with all her heart, mind and soul.
Affectionately called GEM by her siblings and GG by her grandchildren, she leaves to carry on her memory, her children, Colin Martin (Roseann), Denise Oburota, Alicia Samuel and her husband Morgan Samuel; grandchildren, Xiomara (Shea) Bollers, LeDene Spence, Daniella Martin, Emmanuel Martin, Dwayne Spence-Martin, Nalene Hibbert, Marcus Hibbert and Leroy Hibbert; great grandchildren Prince Spence and Malechii Spence. Among her surviving long-time friends, Doreen Douglas, Aldith Lewis, Carl Chambers and Helen Morgan. She will be greatly missed.
The family funeral will be held on Friday May 14, 2021 at Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home, 53 Division Street, Bowmanville, Ontario. The funeral service will be at 1:00 PM. The interment will be at 2:30pm at Bethesda Cemetery, Bethesda Road, Tyrone, Ontario. Funeral Services under the direction of Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home, LTD.
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