BRYER (nee Campbell), Judith Jeanette
Judith Jeanette Bryer (nee Campbell) was born on April 11, 1945 in Midland, Ontario. Her parents, William Seymour Campbell and Lucie Jean Christie Campbell, owned Campbell’s Hardware and Judy was raised in Elmvale, Ontario. Judy passed away in her 80th year on January 3, 2025 in Newmarket, Ontario. These are, however, simply dates. It is all the love, stories, adventures, highs and lows that occurred between the two that tell the real story of who our mom was.
Our mom was a true small-town gal, who never strayed from the compassionate roots established during her formative years. She was kind, empathetic, and always went out of her way to make sure others were cared for. Even as life’s vicissitudes railed against her, she rarely complained. In the occasional moments she did express sadness, she followed this up by apologizing for having burdened us with her concerns. As a decade of ill health presented her with continued indignities, our mom met each new challenge with equanimity and grace, worrying more about others than herself.
Our mom made the best Christmas pudding in the whole world! The decadent cranberry delight was eagerly anticipated every holiday season. What she enjoyed making for dinner was always a restaurant reservation, but baking was another story! Her Forgotten Cookies, Pink Square and “Chocolate Chippers” were legendary.
Mom’s garden was a true thing of beauty, fostered and nurtured over the years to reflect an English country field. In many ways, her garden is reflective of her own journey through life. The flowers, beautiful and colourful with strong roots, but going through harsh conditions at times only to flourish again with delight. Mom always stopped at each of her gardens while driving out of the driveway all summer, much to the frustration of her captive passengers!
Judy graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1967. In that same year, she married Dr. Daniel Bryer and they began a life together in London, Ontario. Judy taught French and Latin before welcoming Shannon Jean in 1970, and Campbell Daniel in 1973. In April of 1974, Judy and Dan moved to North Bay where Dan practiced as an Otolaryngologist and Judy dedicated her time to being our mom. She also attempted to tame two wild Black Labradors into submission with mixed results ultimately leading to some famous family stories. She was fiercely protective of her children, often to our intense displeasure. Now, of course, we see that it was unwavering love in disguise. This love only grew inordinately with the birth of each of her five grandchildren over the years. She found great joy in hearing of their achievements and antics. She was known as Grammy or Grammy Jammie for her love of snuggling up with them in her pyjamas.
Statuesque and beautiful both inside and out, our mom was the keeper of our family traditions. She loved fashion, food (especially butter tarts) and a good snuggle. We called her our road warrior as she would drive all over the place without concern for weather. She considered timelines, clocks and speed limits to be mere suggestions. Her raucous and infectious laughter will stay with us forever.
We are profoundly grateful for the privilege of having our mom guide us through life. We will miss her beyond measure but are thankful her time of suffering is over. Judy is survived by her children, Shannon Jean Brunette (Mike) of North Bay, and Campbell Daniel Bryer (Jennifer) of Burlington , grandchildren Madeleine Bryer Brunette, Sydney Judith Brunette, William James Bryer, Chloe Alexandra Bryer, and Lucas Daniel Bryer. Also left to mourn this great loss is husband, Daniel Bryer, her sister Barbara Watson (Ed deceased) of Mono, and David Campbell (Marg) of Elmvale. Judy also left indelible memories for many nieces and nephews.
The family cannot overstate the outstanding care provided to our mom by the staff at Eagle Terrace in Newmarket. The love and compassion they demonstrated will remain a comfort to us all. Our mom called them angels on earth, and we agree! Another angel has been our Auntie Barb, or AB. She supported Mom with unconditional love, and bolstered us when things seemed too hard, loving our family with all her heart. Thank you also to Dr. Judith Kalyniuk for her endless kindness and medical expertise.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at Churchill’s, 631 Lakeshore Drive, North Bay between the hours of 2pm to 5pm. Please join us to share in honouring Judy as we gather to joyfully reminisce.
Should you wish to make a donation in Judy’s memory, please consider the Canadian Cancer Society, or Trinity United Church.
Arrangements entrusted to the Martyn Funeral Home and online condolences may be offered at www.martynfh.com
