CAMMAC mourns the loss of another Life Member, Winifred “Scottie” Simons. The CAMMAC community sends deepest condolences to the family and loved ones. Scottie and her husband Jan, who passed away in 2006, were pillars of the CAMMAC community, and she will be greatly missed by her many students and friends.
On May 7th, Winifred “Scottie” Simons (nee Whittier) passed away peacefully after a brief illness. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1936, she was the loving daughter of Ralph Whittier and Winnie (Wood) Whittier, and devoted wife of Jan Simons with whom she shared 45 years until his passing on May 7th, 2006. She is survived by cherished sisters Joyce Chaplin (David, 2017) and Nancy Evangelatos (Tim), her children Mark, Andrew (Martha), Nicholas (Slim), Anne (Rod), Katherine (Will), Laura (Gábor), grandchildren (Annie, Thomas, Katherine, Christopher), and many nieces and nephews.
Scottie grew up in Halifax where she received her B.A. from Dalhousie University, went on to Smith College for her M.Ed. specializing in teaching the hearing impaired, and completed her training at Clarke School for Hearing and Speech. She spent her nearly fifty-year career with the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf (M.O.S.D.) where countless students appreciated her patience, kindness, and dedication. During her 40+ summers at CAMMAC music centre, she directed the children’s program, taught arts and crafts and sang innumerable songs with the children. A surprising number of musicians (professional and amateur) have fond memories of baking bread with Scottie in the CAMMAC house kitchen. Her impact on musicians went far beyond that, and is still clear, with so many of Jan’s voice students remaining in close touch with her through the years. McGill’s music department will remember her fondly for her abundant and delicious Christmas baking.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Causes close to her heart included the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, the CAMMAC scholarship fund, and Dans La Rue. Support of these organizations will be greatly appreciated. The family would like to thank all health care workers, especially NOVA Montréal, the CLSC, and St. Mary’s hospital for their care.
If you wish to send a message to Scottie’s family, you can do here.
Click to read an interview with Scottie and Jan Simons from 2005, by Madeleine Little.
To view a video of Scottie at CAMMAC in 2004, created by Steve Driscoll.