Friend to all who met her. Beloved Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Mom, Ma, and Nana to a lucky few. Unwitting Facebook star. Wendy passed peacefully after suffering a stroke on September 25.

Oakville born and raised, Wendy Woo spent her early days scheming with her brother John (Webb) and cousin Linda (Lockyer), alongside her older brother Keith (Webb) and Susan (Eskelin). Lifelong friends were made during summers spent at Burton Cliffs resort on Lake Rosseau, and at Oakville Trafalgar High School.

After graduating from OTHS, Wendy took a year at the University of Toronto, then joined the working world as a server at Viamede Resort in the Muskokas and later at Bell Canada. One fateful day she accepted a blind date with Oakville newcomer, Ken Janisse, and that was that. Less than a year later they were married.

First comes love, then comes marriage. Then came Jeff and Carrie and the family was complete.  Together Wendy and Ken crafted a family home, and a place where friends were always welcome to gather. She instilled in her children a drive to succeed, a love of Simon & Garfunkel and the Beatles, and a safe place to always call home…even if she consistently refused long hugs. Their travel was extensive with multiple trips to Europe and Asia along with driving tours all over North America.  Summers were spent with friends and family at the beloved Cliffs and Shibleyville.

While from the outside, many may have assumed Ken was the chief of mischief, the reality is that Wendy was the ultimate straight-man. The Laurel to Ken's Hardy. The Abbot to his Costello. And everyone knows it's the straight man who makes the act succeed. Her quiet and dry humour supported the chaos and friendships that Ken lovingly crafted around them.

But if there was a time that Wendy truly came into her own, it was in her third act – as Nana to grandsons Jack Janisse and Sean Janisse, as well as Darryl Richardson and Jocelyn Richardson, mother-in-law to Heather Janisse and step-sister to Marilyn Ortwein. In her later years, Wendy took loving care of her mother Audrey (Leaver) Webb Turner, spent her days volunteering at the Oakville Waterfront Festival and Ubuntu, golfing, attending HotDocs, books and authors and third age learning events, and organizing endless fun with her grandkids.

While the onset of Alzheimer's was not to be celebrated, Wendy became something new. She was calm, happy, and always in the moment. A lover of wine and great food. Someone that created connections just by being her.

Wendy suffered a stroke on September 25. While she retained some of what made her so special, ultimately the damage was too great. Wendy received excellent care from the staff at the Chartwell Waterford, Bayshore and the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, and remained herself to the end. Thanking nurses for their care, and saying "sorry" often for when she felt she had inconvenienced them.  The tenderness and love that Ken continued to show Wendy in those final weeks was something out of a fairy tale romance…and was surely felt by Wendy.

She passed calmly and peacefully, leaving this world an emptier place.

You are invited to join the family to celebrate Wendy's life at Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Rd. W. (one block east of Kerr St.)

Tuesday, October 24:
Visitations: 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m.

Wednesday October 25
Visitation: 11 – 12; Celebration of Life at noon with a reception following

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Wendy's memory to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada , the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Oakville Hospital Foundation .