Jane Lind, artist, writer and editor, died suddenly of heart failure brought on by pneumonia on November 6 at the age of 84. Jane resided at Christie Gardens in Toronto.
She wrote two definitive biographies on Canadian artists, Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire (2001) and Perfect Red: The Life of Paraskeva Clark (2009).
Born Mary Jane Peachey in Somerset County, PA, her Mennonite childhood gave her both a love of the land and a dedication to make our world a more humane and liveable place.
Jane studied at Eastern Mennonite College in Virginia, where she fell in love with Loren Lind. Together, they worked for two years as editors at the Mennonite publishing house in Scottdale, PA. In 1967, they moved to Toronto with their two children, Paula and Gareth. There, she worked as a full-time mother, a part-time editor and somehow also a part-time potter.
In 1984, Jane and Loren moved to a farm near Guelph, ON, where they farmed garlic and built a studio and workshop. Jane created clay sculpture that reflected nature – especially birds, which were so dear to her – and works that dealt with violence against women, which she so abhorred. She was an active member of the Guelph chapters of Voice of Women for Peace and Raging Grannies.
Jane wrote short biographies of Canadian artists Mary and Christopher Pratt, Gathie Falk and John McEwen for young readers (published by Douglas & McIntyre). This led to the two full-length books about Wieland and Clark (published by James Lorimer & Company and Cormorant Books).
Her warmth and wisdom will be missed like we miss spring in the depths of winter. Spring returns; she won't. We will keep her spring warmth in our hearts.
Jane leaves her husband, Loren Lind; daughter Paula Lind; son Gareth Lind and daughter-in-law Christel Herick; her grandson, Jordan Lind; and her brother, Urbane Peachey.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Amnesty International would help further the work for justice that was so close to her heart.
A memorial visitation will take place on November 19, 2022, 1–3 pm, at Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 252 Dublin St. N, Guelph. The family will be sharing eulogies in the funeral home at 2 p.m. For those who cannot attend the visitation in person, the eulogies will live streamed through Zoom. The Zoom link can be found on the Funeral Home website.