Obituary of Jane Anne Lee

It is with great sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of Jane Anne Harpur Lee of Hammonds Plains at the age of 82. Jane passed peacefully in the Intensive Care Unit at the Halifax Infirmary surrounded by her loving family and her two beloved dogs on January 22nd, 2025. Jane was an incredible daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; her spirit and gusto for life will be missed by all who knew her. Jane was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1943 to William and Elizabeth Harpur. From a young age Jane was a lover of all things musical and was an incredible pianist and singer. From singing at Carnegie Hall as a teen to founding the Pickering Musical Theatre Group as an adult. Jane met the love of her life, Allan Lee, in 1967 while working together at Damas & Smith Ltd. Excited to start their lives together, the two married in 1975. After marrying Allan, an avid cricket player, Jane became involved in the cricket community; first as Allan’s biggest cheerleader and then as a score keeper. After traveling all over Canada and Europe with Allan and his cricket team, she was recognized for her detailed score keeping and became the official score keeper of the Sahara Cup Tournament. Later, in 1996, Jane and Allan would go on to name their beloved dog ‘Cricket’ as a symbol of their love for the sport. Jane and Allan raised three wonderful children together; Roberta, Claire, and Mathew, and were blessed with five amazing grandchildren; Alexander, Samantha, Emily, Phoebe, and Zoe. After relocating to Bermuda in 1983 with her husband, two of her three children, and their beloved dog Tundra, Jane became a member of the Wesley Methodist Church and founded the Youth Choir Group. In Bermuda she continued filling her days with musical theatre and choir through the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society and the Bermuda Philharmonic Society; and made many friends along the way. While living in Bermuda, she saw her daughters get married and become mothers themselves; her son get married; herself and Allan become grandparents and, later, great-grandparents; her grandson, Alexander, become a father; and her daughter, Roberta, become a grandmother. In 2013, Jane and her husband moved to Nova Scotia to be closer to family. In Halifax, Jane joined St. Mathews United Church and became a member of their vocal and bell choirs. Here she made many friends who have since become an incredible support for her Husband as he grieves the loss of his wife and best friend. While living in Halifax, she saw her son become a father; her granddaughter Samantha become a mother; and her granddaughters Emily and Phoebe graduate high-school and subsequently university. She adopted two dogs, Tucker and Finnigan, who loved her just as much as she loved them and were able to be there for her passing and will be present at her funeral. Throughout her life, Jane was an incredible woman who empowered her children and grandchildren to reach for the stars and never give up. In her role as the Matriarch of her family, she hosted weekly Sunday family dinners, Christmases, Easter brunches, and many birthday parties. She had an amazing sense of humour, a thirst for knowledge, and a love for trivia, card games, and, of course, sports (Go Jays! Go Leafs!). In her hay-day and in her older age she commanded a room with her mere presence, smile, laughter, and, of course, her brightly coloured sky-high high heels (even while using her cane and being begged to wear more sensible shoes!). Our hope is that she will be lovingly remembered in this light by all who knew her. We could not have asked for a better wife, mother, grandmother and friend. As her family, we are so grateful that she was with us for as long as she was and was able to bare witness to so many wonderful moments in all of our lives. Jane is survived by her husband of 58 years, Allan Lee; son, Matthew William Harpur Lee; daughters, Roberta Jane Riley and Claire Elizabeth Lee-Osborne; brother, George Harpur; grandchildren, Phoebe Jane Osborne, Samantha Louise Polonuk, Zoe Soliana Alexandra Lee, Emily Lauren Peake-Osborne; great- grandchildren, Brodrick James Lee, Mara-Jade Lee, Noah William James Polonuk and Wyatt Ronald Radford Polonuk; along with many nephews and nieces. Jane was preceded in death by her brother, Tom William Harpur; sister, Elizabeth Mary Harpur; and grandson, Alexander James Lee. A celebration of life service will be held Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 1:00pm in St. Matthew’s United Church, 1479 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS, with Rev. Betsy Hogan officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hope for Wildlife and Nova Scotia S.P.C.A.