Valrey May (Tennant) Watson

In loving Memory and Celebration
of the life of Valrey May Watson

February 07, 1939 - November 18, 2021

Valrey May (Tennant) Watson, was born on February 7, 1939, a Tuesday, and she was unquestionably filled with grace. Valrey was first a teacher, then an ordained minister, but always a remarkable mother. Daughter of Edna May (Wildman) Tennant and Harold Seaton Tennant, she was born in Clonmel, St. Mary, Jamaica. Valrey attended Shortwood Training College in Kingston, Jamaica where she obtained her Teacher’s Diploma (1960) and taught in Jamaica for 7 years before emigrating to Canada. In 1984, she earned her Bachelor of Arts, Social Science from York University and after being offered a scholarship to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, completed her Master of Divinity in 1988.

Sister to Hyacinth (Cherry) (d.), Seaton (Benny) (d.), Stafford (d.), Claire (d.), Lorna, Lister, Donna Marie and Patrick (d.). Aunt to many nieces and nephews, Grandmother to Aaron and Quinn and Great-grandmother to wee Jane.

On April 14, 1962, Valrey married Ralford Watson. They remained happily married and deeply in love until his passing on August 27, 2021. Their relationship built on their precious and steadfast love for each other, spanned over 66 years. Together they raised four children: Donna Marie, Craig, Warren and Karen Mercedes (and many others who call(ed) her Mom. They filled every home they had together with unconditional love and enjoyed the constant visits and company of close family, friends and their international array of children.

Cooking and baking may have been Valrey’s first passion: wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, baking of any kind and preparing a special meal for anyone that needed or wanted to be fed. After leaving her diagnostic centre for children with learning disabilities at Bedford Park Public School in Toronto to pursue her true calling - her faith and devotion to God - was where she shone. Valrey and Ralf enjoyed their retirement years together, always together -- cooking, tending to their magnificent garden, volunteering at the United Methodist Children’s Home and Auxiliary and participating in church activities at First Moravian Church.

Valrey once spoke of a too short stint as a hospital Chaplain that she felt was a coalescing of her best skills and fulfilled her goals of caring and supporting people when they were at their most vulnerable. Anyone who called Valrey a friend knew that any topic could be discussed. She was the brightest and unfailing light. Her warm smile and sincerity invited even strangers to open their hearts to her. We were blessed those of us who knew and loved her and experienced the depth of her seemingly limitless love and:

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
[we] carry [her] heart ([we] carry it in [our] heart(s))1

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] – e. e. cummings, Copyright 1952 ©,