225 Rosedale, Toronto

Rae, Enid B

Birth Name Rae, Enid B
Gramps ID I0091
Gender female
Age at Death 93 years, 2 months, 12 days

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth [E0139] 1923 Penn, Wolverhampton    
Marriage (Bride) [E0140] 1947      
Event Note

During the Second World War, she joined the Royal Navy and proudly became a WREN, assigned to HMS Excellent in Portsmouth, as a Navy photographer. There, as fate would have it, she met Peter, the most handsome blue-eyed Canadian sailor and the one great true love of her life. They were married in 1947 and with Peter returned to Toronto where they had five children, Anna, Tawny, Heather, Alan and Jock.

Death [E0141] 2016-03-13 Toronto, Canada    

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Rae, Bill [I0093]
Mother Tetchner, Blanche Lilian [I0090]1893
    Brother     Rae, Donald [I0094] 1915
         Rae, Enid B 1923 2016-03-13

Narrative

From https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=enid-rae-maclachlan&pid=189998838
Enid Rae Maclachlan

Affectionately known as 'Nibs' to her 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, Enid Rae Maclachlan died peacefully on March 13, 2016, at the venerable age of 92.
The daughter of Bill and Blanche Rae, Enid was born in 1923 in a village called Penn, not far from Wolverhampton in the English Midlands. Her family moved to London in 1937 and there, as a gifted artist and with the support of her brother, Donald, she attended the Ealing School of Art and Design. During the Second World War, she joined the Royal Navy and proudly became a WREN, assigned to HMS Excellent in Portsmouth, as a Navy photographer. There, as fate would have it, she met Peter, the most handsome blue-eyed Canadian sailor and the one great true love of her life. They were married in 1947 and with Peter returned to Toronto where they had five children, Anna, Tawny, Heather, Alan and Jock.
Art was always a significant part of her life and she soon became involved in the Art Gallery of Ontario, where she discovered like-minded individuals, created lifelong friendships, became a founding member of the Women's Committee, served in many volunteer capacities and eventually sat on the Board of Trustees. She was also Chair of the Public Art Commission for the City of Toronto and a member of the William Morris Society and the Textile Museum.
Travel, art and a yearning for cultural experience took her to Labrador and the Arctic, Russia's rivers, Iran and a car ride through Afghanistan, Japan, Kiwi country, St. Lucia, all around NA, many of Europe's delights and throughout the UK. Sharing Peter's passion for sailing Enid spent many wonderful days on Lake Ontario boating with her family and summering on Lake Joseph and Rosseau. However it was after the tragically early death of Peter, in 1981, that Enid turned to art in search of solace. And it had been her refuge and passion ever since with landscapes and the human form being her focus.

For over 50 years, her home on Douglas Drive was a welcome sanctuary to all manner of artist, scholar, friend and wandering musician. In the last year of her life, Enid needed special care and the family will be forever grateful for the wonderful loving treatment she received on the ninth floor of The Briton House. The staff there was so cheerful, caring and patient. Many, many thanks.

A celebration of Enid's life will be held at The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, 2016 (14 Elm Street, Toronto), reception to follow. Donations can be given in her name to any starving artist.