With sad hearts and abundant love, we say goodbye to our mom, grandma, and GG: Ellice Agnes (nee Scarrow) Oliver, who passed peacefully on February 10, 2022 in her 89th year.
She was the cherished mother of Richard (Sherry), John (Joanna), and Heather; the proud grandmother of Beth, Laura, Alison, Kacie, Rachel, Alex, Jazmine, Molana, Myriam and William; the much loved great-grandmother of Sebastyn, Athena and Evelyn.
Ellice was born in a small log cabin in Grey County, Ontario on June 2, 1933 to loving parents, Alice Henderson and James Alexander Scarrow. Her life was well-lived and joyful: full of learning, service, adventure, love of creation, spirituality, and friends and family.
An early feminist pioneer, she was one of only four female students of 75 in 1950 at the Ontario Veterinary College. After second year, she made the decision to move to Paisley with then husband, Dr. Peter Oliver where they started their family before eventually moving back to Guelph in 1967.
An avid learner, Ellice went back to school completing her BA and Masters in psychology in 1971. After several years and becoming more involved with the church, she elected to dedicate more of her time to the drop-in center in Guelph and entered a spiritual direction program with the Jesuits at Ignatius College. Returning to school again, she earned a master’s degree in religious studies at the University of Toronto and then committed a significant period of her life to religious and spiritual service: a chaplain at Homewood Health Care Centre; a minister at the Mount Carmel Zion United Church; a chaplain at the correctional center in Guelph; and finally, a chaplain at the Elliott, a long-term care facility in Guelph. She was a life-long learner and her service continued as a spiritual director for many years.
Ellice was an adventurer. She travelled across both Canada and the US with friends and family. At various times, she experienced Europe, saw the wonders of the Galapagos, explored Jerusalem and also embarked on a homeless solo trip to western Canada. She hiked the Bruce Trail from end to end, finishing the last stretch at age 71. Each grandchild, at age 10, was taken on a trip of their choosing; cherished memories for them all.
Her lifelong respect and admiration for all creation included every living plant and creature. She adored the majestic Great Blue Herons, the fluttering butterflies, the twinkling fireflies, the deep eyes and wet kisses of a dog. She was never far from a pair of binoculars, a requirement for her birding passion. Thank goodness for all her grand-dogs: we’re sure they helped give her a much-needed dose of canine energy when she was missing the gentle spirit of her beloved schnauzer, Zeke.
The spiritual connection to and presence of God in her life was of utmost importance to her. Her spirituality was very inclusive and incorporated different beliefs, including indigenous and all living things, balanced, blended, and working as one with God.
We are so blessed to have had Ellice as our Mom, Grandma and GG and very fortunate to have had her in our lives for as long as we did. As children, she encouraged our imagination, celebrated our successes and comforted us when we were sad. As adults, she anchored us when we were adrift and taught us to nurture our inner child. She was constantly there for us – providing counsel, reassurance, and a voice of wisdom for our entire lives. We never doubted we were loved fiercely from the deepest part of her soul.
Her passing leaves a large hole in our lives. We conclude with one of her favorite quotes: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held for Ellice on March 11, 2022 at 11 am at Harcourt Memorial United Church in Guelph, ON. This service will also be streamed at https://youtu.be/ZnNt6ZN5ASk. Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.
A tree will be planted in memory of Ellice A. Oliver in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.