Swanwick Star Issue No. 12 (2019)

In Memoriam

 

  

My Aunt (Dr. Jagdis Kaur Siddoo) was one of the most incredible women I have ever met and one of the great female influences of my life. She and my Mother (Dr. Sarjit Kaur Siddoo) were the first and second persons of Indo-Canadian origin to graduate from medical school in Canada, respectively (University of Toronto). In fact, it was a trend throughout her life – my Aunt was never afraid to be the first to do something. She also had a passion for philosophy and Krishnamurti as evidenced in her book “Listening is the Guru” about how the two sisters started Wolf Lake School, which I attended as a child. She enjoyed hiking and had a keen love of the outdoors that she imparted to all those around her. There is no doubt that Aunt “Jackie” was a veritable force in all our lives and really molded everything we did.

Like my Aunt, I started composing music based on birdsongs and many were the fond discussions we had about our avian friends. In fact, in the evenings near the end, I tried to amuse her by telling her a new bird story based on my encounters with birds during the day. She seemed to relish these stories whether it was about my resident woodpecker, Woodie, who would wake me up each morning by knocking on the chimney or Hummie, the hummingbird, who came every Spring looking for the red hummingbird feeder that had not been there for many years! However, I assured her that I would get a new feeder for him this year. Luckily, I was able to complete my latest opera dedicated to her in time for her birthday this year and have a classical string quartet perform it at her party.

Every new interest of hers was taken up with great energy and enthusiasm like her study of the Sanskrit language, which she mastered in her seventies, and, of course, gardening was always a favourite hobby. She excelled at everything she touched and enjoyed the detective stories which I read to her from time to time. Probably, most of all (even though she did not shy away from disciplining naughty children), she was fun, fun, fun to the end with a zest for life that I shall never forget!

CS