Ellyn lived her life with a deep faith and an abiding love for her family. She was pre-deceased by her son, Glenn, and her sister, Margaret. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Doug; her daughter Rebecca and partner Carlos Rodrigues; her daughter Monica and son-in-law David; her son Adrian; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Theodora and Henry Peirson and Ben and Claudia Durbin. Ellyn was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and moved to Ontario at the age of eighteen. Ellyn and Doug met in St. Catherines where their families attended the same church. At the time of their meeting, Ellyn was at Nursing College. She then attended Teacher’s College and became a primary grade school teacher, teaching alongside Doug who, for the duration of his career, was a highschool teacher. They were married in 1963 and moved to Guelph, Ontario, where Ellyn divided her time between that city and the family cottage on the northern shores of Lake Huron. Ellyn was passionate about classical music, her gardens, her children and her grandchildren. She was an advocate for children and youth at risk and she and Doug were loving foster parents to a host of children and teenagers for many years.
Ellyn’s careers were in child welfare, counselling and writing. She went back to university while raising four children and graduated with a specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction, University of Guelph: Dean’s Honour List; English Specialization; Sociology Minor; Family Therapy Electives. In her social work career, she was Director of Human Resources at Hopewell Children's Homes; a member of the Residential Placement Advisory Committee; Chair of the Wellington Free-Standing Hospice Advisory Council; Board Member for the A.I.D.S. Committee of Wellington County; and she worked at Family and Children’s Services, Guelph Wellington, in the roles of Coordinator of After Hours Services; Manager, Resources Dept.; Projects Officer/Foster Care Development Worker; Foster Care Support Worker; After-Care for Psychiatric Patients; Protection Worker, After Hours Services. From 1990 to 2009 she had a successful private counselling practice. She was passionate about writing. Her published works include: Mudlarks and Meadowlarks; Antonia of Venice; Co-Editor with Mary Peirson: I am Keats as you are by Glenn Peirson (in his own words); After the Interlude: A Dialogue about Death and Beyond with Andrew Ruhl; and Cancerwords. Her books remain an important legacy.
Ellyn left this earth for her reunion with the souls who had been released before her, especially Glenn, to their and her original home of love and faith. A celebratory Memorial Service will be held at Dublin Street United Church, 68 Suffolk Street, West, Guelph, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. If you are planning to attend the service, please wear bright clothing – this was Ellyn’s request. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Dr. Glenn D. Peirson Fund for the Arts (https://guelphcf.ca/creating-a-lasting-legacy); Hospital for Sick Children; Hospice Wellington; or Hilltop Manor in Cambridge where Doug resides.
The family is deeply grateful to Ellyn’s friends, the Dublin St. United Church community, many doctors and caregivers, Guelph General Hospital and to Hospice Wellington.