Gillian Richardson (née Kyle) passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep on December 3, 2025. She was a loving mother to Kyle (Cathy), James, and Kerry (Jason), and a devoted partner to John. Her grandkids Charlotte and Jack adored her, calling her “Horsey Granny” because of the piggyback rides she gave them when they were little.
Mom was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Helen and Phillip, being the youngest sister to Lorna and Brenda. A small (or wee as they say back home) girl, she had a spirited personality that shone brightly. She was great at sports from her childhood days playing street cricket to earning letters in track (she even held a Northern Ireland discus record for a time), field hockey, and later tennis in Canada which she loved dearly. Some of her happiest moments were spent at annual girl’s tennis weekends in Muskoka with the Golden Slammers.
Education meant a lot to the family; it goes back as far as her granny graduating from the University of Cambridge. Mom earned her Pharmacy degree from Queen’s University Belfast. It was during school that she met John Richardson, and soon after they married and moved to Canada. Gillian worked at various pharmacies in Bracebridge where she enjoyed chatting with customers picking up their prescriptions.
Music was one of her biggest passions. In her teenage years in Belfast, she met Van Morrison but didn’t think much of him at first. Her very first concert experience was with The Beatles, though she thought they were over-rated and didn’t understand the hype around them. However, once she heard The Rolling Stones, she quickly became a fan and considered Keith Richards the best. Her favorite concert memory is from an AC/DC show in 2008. Her musical taste was quite varied; over the years she attended concerts by artists like Blue Rodeo, Kris Kristofferson, Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, Beach Boys, Rush, Sloan, The Ramones, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Buffet among many others. She also had a love for sports cars-especially her well-known “Batmobile,” a Mazda RX-8 that she might have driven up to 200 km/h (but she’d always say it was done very carefully). You could often find tennis rackets or two stashed in her car along with loud music playing.
Mom’s love for life never faded as she got older. Instead of dealing with crowds for live events that excited her so much, she’d watch concerts online instead. She continued enjoying books (Stephen King being a clear favorite), keeping up with friends across the pond while watching Roger Federer play tennis and feeling heartbroken time after time by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As we say goodbye to Mom today, let’s remember some of her wise sayings: “Always aim higher than you think you may get to” and “Treat everyone you meet as you would want to be treated.” Lastly, from one of her favorite songs “Me and Bobby Mc Gee” by Kris Kristofferson (don’t dare call it a Janis Joplin song): “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”
The family invites visitors to Reynold’s Funeral Home on Friday, December 12 between 2pm – 4pm and 6pm – 8pm. We’ll hold a celebration of life this spring. In honor of Mom (and all those beloved cats over the years especially Patrick O’Shaughnessy), please consider donating to the Ontario SCPA and Humane Society.
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