June Carolyn (Stacey) McKay

June McKay (nee Stacey)
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our mother June Carolyn McKay at the age of 91, who went to join the love of her life Norman Ross McKay in the great hereafter suddenly on Wednesday, October 30th,  2019 at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ontario. June, the daughter of the late Austin and Hilda Stacey, was born in 1928 in Toronto and is predeceased by her brother Gordon. She spent her teenaged years working at Balm Beach, Ontario in the 1940’s where she met her first husband Francis (Sonny) McNamara. When she married Norman McKay in 1978, this gentle giant instantly became the father of six and they eventually retired to “the cottage” in Oro Station. June Bug, as she was affectionately called, loved her kids, a good party, lots of friends, old movies, music (she was such a groupie - kisses from Tony Bennett and John McDermott were the highlights), her kitties and Bonnie Doon - her home at Oro Station with Norman. She was one of the first recipients in Canada of a cornea transplant in 1962 and received her second one in the other eye in 1965. Both required extreme courage but saved her from being blind. Our Mom was our anchor and kept her family together through thick and thin and made us promise to stick together after she was gone even though we now need to rent a hall to accommodate us all at family functions. She will be greatly missed by her children: Denise Young (Mark), Kathy Koczekan (Steve), Sharon Black (Marty), Lisa Gridley (Mike), Richard McNamara (Kim), Kris McKay (Barb). She will be fondly remembered by her 14 grandchildren: Shawn Griffin (Selena), Paul O’Neill (Meaghan), Chad Black (Casie), Ashlea Growcott (Dave), Andrew and Alana Koczekan, Stacey and Michael Masson, Austin McNamara (Amber), Spencer McNamara, Wyatt and Matthew McKay, Aaron (Terri) Young, and Kezia Young and 12 great-grandchildren: Mackenna & Morgan Griffin, Mallory, Courtney & Davis O’Neill, Kristopher, Matthew and Emily Black, Chloe Young, Christian & Leland Young and Reid McNamara. She made many new friends at her most recent home at Woods Park Care Centre in Barrie and will miss you all. We wish to thank the staff for their incredible kindness and care. In lieu of flowers, we ask you to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the CNIB. Please drop in to help us celebrate June’s life on Thursday, November 21 from 2 - 6 p.m. at Woods Park Care Centre, 110 Lillian Crescent, Barrie. Internment will be held in the Spring at the Little Brick Church in Oro. If you require further information, please contact Lisa Gridley at (705) 733-4332 or email lisagridley2@gmail.com.