Evelyn Stewart (Rutherford) O'Reilly

Only Lyn could work white glove Westmount rules into an off grid island in northern Georgian Bay. She could also always find a tiny patch of blue sky in a thunderstorm. Her love of family, friends and sport was infectious and in today’s ”me first” world, Lyn was always the opposite. A McGill Phys Ed grad, Lyn Rutherford became a professor and director of Women’s Athletics at McMaster where she met a young lawyer and practical joker Gordon O’Reilly. Settling in Oakville, Ont., Lyn never drove a car (and despite rattlesnakes and bears, a boat either) but decked in kilt and sensible shoes, Granny Woolly rode her bike on every street for the next 50 years. There were few sports she wasn’t interested in, even in her 80s, her wide choice of equipment for six visiting grandchildren was always waiting. From paddling solo around the islands of Beaverstone Bay to many humble wins on the Oakville Club’s badminton and tennis courts, alpine and cross-country skiing to coaching almost every sport at university, Lyn was rarely seated beyond her bike, chairlift or games table. Her uncanny memory and ability to connect surnames, faces and interests was matched by a insatiable thirst for news and learning. Decades of selfless volunteering left Gord wryly encouraging her to ”get a paying job again.” Lyn’s culinary creations were legendary, her early morning cottage breakfast bell still rings today. She is deeply missed by Andrea, Ray, Gord, spouses, grandchildren and many friends. Donations can be made to the Oakville Community Foundation .