Jennifer Baxter
May 12, 1962 – July 28, 2017
A brilliant, loving, daughter, sister, aunt, daycare worker and artist, left her grieving family on July 28, 2017 and is already deeply missed. Jennifer grew up in Priddis, Alberta on a forested acreage where her passionate love of nature took hold and stayed with her until she died.
Before she became ill with Parkinsons Jennifer loved being on Mt. Washington either skiing, snowshoeing or hiking, and in her earlier days skiing and hiking on Mt. Norquay in Banff where she worked for 3 years. When Jen lived on Salt Spring Island she had a lovely yellow kayak and enjoyed paddling the areas around the Island and a number of times kayaked the Broken Islands with her family. Walking was one of her passions, whether to her Salt Spring Island daycare work or in the Valley when she moved here in 2002. Jennifer loved being with the children she worked with in the daycares and she was immensely sad when her Parkinsons caused her to leave her work. Through all of these years Jen managed to stay connected with her painting either in classes on Salt Spring, here in the Valley and at L’Arche – it was one of her greatest joys. Her favourite subjects? Without a doubt, birds and flowers! And a favourite pastime? Jen loved nothing more than cruising in her sister’s little truck listening to ‘golden oldies’.
We want to thank Dr. Laura Bell for her loving care of Jennifer, and Tracy Black and the Gatehouse staff for taking such good care of our beloved daughter and sister for almost 3 years. And a special thank you to the L’Arche community for offering Jen such beautiful support and inspiration. A few weeks before she died she told us she was so sad because she wouldn’t see her friends anymore…you all meant so much to her.
Jennifer leaves behind her parents, John and Rosemary Baxter and her sister Diane in Courtenay, and her brother Greg and his wife Leslie, and their son Sean in Edmonton. And her Uncles and Aunts, cousins and many friends, on Salt Spring Island, in Courtenay and elsewhere.
A celebration of life will be held near the end of August. In lieu of flowers please consider supporting L’Arche Comox Valley.