Obituary of Jean Bickford Welton

Welton, Jean Bickford (Gilliland) Jean died peacefully at Riverview Gardens, Chatham, ON, on Tuesday, August, 9, 2016 at the age of 92. She was the daughter of the late William and Pearl (Bickford) Gilliland. Beloved wife of the late G. Lloyd Welton (2012). Dear mother of David Welton and his wife Shelley of Chatham, Philip Welton and his wife Jeannine of Mattawa and Jeffrey Welton and his wife Betty of Burlington. Grandmother of Tonya Welton, Holly & Brian Yates, Eric & Reannon Welton, Katie & Mark Dickerson, Christina Welton, Michael Welton & Stephanie Tustin. Great Grandmother of Cody, Maggie, Zack, Devin, Charlie, Annabella and June. Kind sister of Elizabeth Pringle (the late Dr.Stanley Pringle) of Penticton, B.C, Hazel Nicolson (the late Alexander Nicholson) of New Zealand, Blanche Wallace (the late Richard (Wallace) of Pettewa and (the late Jack Gilliland) and sister-in-law to Barbara Gilliland of Fredericton, N.B. Jean was born in Hampton, NewBrunswick. She grew up in nearby Rothesay and had a wonderful childhood, living a very active life and learning much from her parents. That Maritime blood got her interested in swimming and sailing at a very young age, both remained interests of her throughout her life. Living and being raised on a golf course, she also took an interest in golf, learning to play at the age of 4 and together with her sisters, became one of the first female golfers at the East Riverside Golf & Country Club. Jean continued with her interest in golf and even won a tournament in Stratford, where the trophy is still on display. Over her life, Jean lived in 16 different cities in the USA and 10 in Canada, as she assisted her husband Lloyd, in his work with the YMCA. In most locations, she volunteered her time at the YMCA and taught swimming to many, many youth and adults. In their retirement years, Jean & Lloyd spent 10 years in Bradenton, Florida, where they loved taking cruises and long walks on the beach, searching for that perfect shell or sea glass. Jean is a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Her greatest love was her family, especially her three boys, whom she was very proud of and continually bragged about each one of them. While there were many people who cared for Mom over the past weeks and months, one person, Jenni Pilbeam, stands out above the rest. Jenni was incredibly special to Mom and is loved by all of us, for what you did for our mother - thank you! The family will receive friends at the Funeral Home on Sunday, August 21, 2016 from 7-9 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, August 22, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.at the McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham, Ontario, with Rev. Bob McCall, officiating. The family has requested for the Memorial Service to fill the room with beautiful flowers as a loving tribute to Jean, who was an avid gardener who loved her plants, especially yellow roses. Like her flowers, Jean brought life and happiness to all her family and friends. Online condolences can be given at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com. McKinlay Funeral Home 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham 519-351-2040 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/179339362" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/179339362">Jean Welton</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user27484248">McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>