Raymonda Leontine Shaw

Raymonda (Ray) Vanderheyden Shaw, born Leontine Temmerman (Tineke), a much-loved Mom, Booma (grandmother), Auntie passed away peacefully at the age of 92, born on February 4, 1931, in Ghent, Belgium, the daughter of the late Eduard Temmerman & Martha deVroe.

Beloved Mother of Linda (Kim) Lehmann and Steven Vanderheyden.

Cherished grandmother to Tanya (Rob) Andrews, Jason Demmick (Amanda) and Lia Vanderheyden (Mike) and great-grandchildren: Allyssa (Brandon) Gilpin, Griffin Andrews, Camille, and Elainagh and great-great grandchildren: Amelia and Greyson.

She will also be missed by her stepchildren, Norm Shaw’s children: David Shaw (Barbara McKellar), Bruce Shaw (Julie Yates) and Barbara Ings (Geoffrey Ings) and their families.

She was preceded in death by her husband’s Joseph Vanderheyden and Norman Shaw, her son-in-law Ritchard Hart and daughter-in-law Kimberley Vanderheyden and her siblings: Rachel, Helen and Willy.

She will be fondly remembered by all of her family and friends.

As a young woman in Belgium, after enduring the struggles of World War II she worked at the cotton mills making cotton and then as a chef to Baron Brown, in Ghent, where she resided in the basement of the Castle with her daughter and husband, Joseph.

After immigrating to Canada in 1958, Joe & Ray lived in the Toronto area until the early 1970’s when they moved to Emsdale purchasing and operating Blue Jay Lodge on Hwy 592, a small motel & restaurant, later selling and buying a house on Bay Lake.

After Joe’s sudden death, Ray sold their home on Bay Lake and moved into Huntsville and became the pleasant greeting face of Whatever Antiques for many years.

Many years after the death of Joe, she married Norman Shaw who predeceased her in September 2014.

In marrying Norm, they found a love for their winter home in Ocala, Florida. Travelling many years to Ocala from November to April, frequenting yard sales and having the keen eye to find a “deal”, kept them busy until Norm’s passing.

Ray has left us after a long, heart-breaking period of physical and mental decline inflicted on her by dementia. All whom loved her dearly and will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace (when pertinent) and undying love and caring for them.

The family would like to thank the caring staff at Muskoka Landing for their compassion and love that they had for Ray, she would always give them a warm smile.

We would like to thank everyone for their condolences and support.

Cremation has taken place, and a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 13th, 2024 from 1 pm to 3 pm at Home 2 Suites by Hilton, located at 159 Howland Drive, Huntsville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer Society (www.alzheimer.ca) or to the Ontario SPCA Muskoka Animal Centre (www.ontariospca.ca/muskoka).

Think of me; remember my smile, The love we shared; linger awhile. I am at peace now, I am me. At rest for all eternity.

You didn’t die just recently, You died some time ago.

Although your body stayed a while,

And didn’t really know.

 For you had got Alzheimer’s, You failed to comprehend.

Your body went on living.

But your mind had reached its end.

 So, we’ve already said, “Goodbye”, To the person that we knew.

The person that we truly loved, The person that was you.

 And so, we meet again today, To toast your body’s end.

For it was true and faithful, Until right at the end.

 And so, when we remember, We’ll think of all the rest.

We’ll concentrate on earlier, And remember all the best.

 For in the real scheme of things, Your illness wasn’t long.

Compared to all the happiness, You brought your whole life long.

 We think of you as yesterday, When you were fit and well.

And when we’re asked about you, It’s those things that we’ll tell.

 And so, we meet in remembrance, Of a mind so fit and true.

We’re here to pay our last respects To say that, “We love you”.

 By Dick Underwood, from his Dreams of the Soul anthology