MANSFIELD, Jennifer (Rickard) - Died peacefully at Chester Village on Friday, September 17, 2021.
Predeceased by her parents Hugh P Rickard and Maude Elizabeth McCann, her sister and brother in law Gillian and Gordon Scarlett and her beloved husband, the late Harry Nelson Mansfield.
Cherished mother of Elizabeth Mansfield (Dan Giblon) of Toronto, Katherine Mansfield (Tim Stephenson) of Toronto and Hugh Mansfield (Martha) of Toronto.
Fondly remembered by her seven grandchildren, Hoody and Rod (Elizabeth), Sophie, Simon and Anna (Katherine) and Harry and Maude (Hugh).
Jennifer was born and raised in Toronto. She was the daughter of a serviceman and his wife (Hugh and Maude Rickard) and grew up with her younger sister Gillian in several locations during WWII, including two years in Nova Scotia. She attended high school at Jarvis Collegiate and Lawrence Park Collegiate and went on to finish her HBA at Trinity, U of T (’52) where she would meet her future husband, Rev. Harry Nelson Mansfield.
Jennifer and Harry led several churches, most notably St. Christopher’s in Burlington, ON and St. Mark’s in Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON where they both left an indelible mark on these communities and made many lifelong friends.
Tragedy would strike quickly as Harry was diagnosed with leukemia and died within ten months. At 37 years of age, with three young children in tow, Jennifer returned to U of T to complete her MSW to provide for her family.
In 1971, Jennifer purchased a home on Castle Knock Rd. in North Toronto and began work for the Children’s Aid Society and eventually the TDSB where she spent most of her career (24 years) to her retirement in June 1997. She successfully raised three children while instilling in them the importance of family, community and treating all individuals in society equally and with kindness.
The family would like to express their deep appreciation to the staff at Chester Village and Del Manor, who assisted Jenny through the very difficult months of isolation during the pandemic crisis.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 1st at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Redeemer (NE corner of Avenue Rd and Bloor). A private graveside interment service will be held at St. Mark’s in Niagara-On-The-Lake for immediate family members.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Jennifer’s name to the lunch program at Church of the Redeemer (The Common Table) (https://theredeemer.ca/donate/) or to Chester Village.
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