Obituary - Elizabeth Emma Tory

Elizabeth Emma Tory (nee Bacon) passed away peacefully at home in Toronto, with her family at her side on Saturday October 3, 2026, at the age of 94. Liz was strong until the end – as anyone who knew her would expect.

She was the beloved daughter of the late Howard and Helen Bacon and was predeceased by her sisters Anna and Rena-Mae and brother Ted.

Liz Tory came from modest beginnings to lead an extraordinary life of family and community contribution. Together with her husband John, her beloved partner of 58 years until his passing in 2011, she created and nurtured a family to whom they were deeply devoted and immensely proud.

Although Liz likely could have done anything (she sometimes said so and she was right!), she chose to dedicate herself to raising four loving, accomplished children – John, Jennifer, Jeffrey (Anik) and Michael. They, together with their spouses, produced many grandchildren - John (Melanie), Christopher (Sadie), Susan and George (Allie); Elizabeth Clare (David) and Alexandra Meschino (Conor); Jessica (Mike), Nicholas (Sydney), Annabel (John), Olivia (Mike) and Robin, Lily-Maude and Beatrice Nadeau; and Max, Adam, Felix (Dani) and Griffin.

And to her great joy, Liz had 15 great-grandchildren – with more on the way.

Liz took great pleasure in all the children and, true to form, she would try to fill in any parenting gaps. They knew a visit with Nana was a loving challenge! She was every bit the matriarch of her large and dynamic family. Dad provided bedrock values and overflowing love; Mom was there for all of us, keeping us on our toes. She looked after our father with deep love and support and focused on the practicalities – which made life easier for all of us. Who we each became as adults celebrated the extraordinary influence of both our parents.

Beyond family, Liz made an incredible contribution as a community volunteer. She was widely recognized as one of the leading volunteers and charitable fundraisers of her generation. Organizations which she helped for decades include Sunnybrook Hospital, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Junior League – just to name a few. She was fearless when it came to seeking contributions from others and she and Dad were very generous themselves. Her roots and her life experiences made her deeply mindful of both the satisfaction and the responsibility of giving back. She was at the top of the list when it came to serving in positions of volunteer community leadership – which she did well into her eighties.

Anyone who knew Liz Tory also knew how direct she was in her opinions. Mom had a huge heart and beyond her visible community work, she was as loyal a friend as you could ever find. She carried out countless small acts of kindness whenever she saw the need.

Mom was also a very accomplished golfer. She had six holes-in-one, and was a putter without peer, as Rosedale and Lost Tree golfers would know. She bravely took up skiing at age 40, so that we could enjoy that sport as a family. She loved her social life and made sure Dad embraced one, in Toronto and at their beloved Lost Tree Village, in Florida.

No one who ever met Liz Tory could forget her. Yes, in part that’s because after spending a little time with her they felt perhaps it was time to buy some more elegant clothes or get a new haircut or do something meaningful. But it's mainly because of her personality. She was smart, she was funny and caring, and if she identified a problem, she would always help to solve it. Hers was a life well-lived and she was a role model for so many.

We would like to especially thank Mom's principal caregivers over the past 25 years: Joy and Cora, and her many friends who were so good to Mom. And also, very importantly our thanks to Dr. Jocelyn Charles, and Althea, Gemma, and Rosalie who all made such a difference to her care and the quality of her final months.

The family will welcome friends at the Humphrey Funeral Home-A.W. Miles Chapel, 1403 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, October 8th, 2026. Funeral service will be held at Rosedale United Church on Friday, October 9th at 10:30 am. Private interment will be beside our father at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

If desired, in lieu of flowers, donations made to Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation, the AGO, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra or the Lost Tree Foundation would be appreciated. Condolences may be forwarded to www.humphreymiles.com.

First Day of School

First Day of Grade Eight! (Tuesday)

First day for me too! (Tuesday)

First day of Grade 10. (Wednesday)

First day of Grade Twelve. (Wednesday)

Back to School Blessings

I'm so thankful for Ken and the way he honours his priesthood keys. 

Wendy/Mom

- clarity in mind that you may perform your duties and have ease and joy and be safe during travel and know when to stay home 

- help children who struggle 

- help teachers too 

- help at home and help your children find a balance and find light 

Fiona

- be safe as you travel, take comfort and security knowing you're safe and will be kept safe

- be a good example to your sisters 

- understand yourself, know how to help yourself or ask for it

- have strength in health, illness be kept to a minimum 

- have a great grade eight year

- make the people around you feel valued and special

- take care of yourself

- have regularity in your schedule

- read the scriptures, find time to do that and see how they improve your life 

Alice

- that you may excel at school this year, get the grades that you want

- to know how to best use your time

- find the time to do the things you want to and need to

- find joy in your life

- a diligent student in seminary with Wendy learning the curriculum, find joy in the scriptures

- be healthy, look after yourself and your own health

- kept safe as you travel to school, kept from injury

- be an example to your sisters, be a calm in their storms

- have the patience to do that

- find happiness in serving your family 

- be a good example to your friends at school and at church, they'll see in you a follower of Christ and know that they can come to you for help

The Last Hurrah!

What could be better for the final weekend before school starts than doing a million things?!?! Let's count Friday too, because, why not!

Friday
The girls came with me up to my school. They relabeled all of my student's duotangs and Alice taped the basket labels on the baskets. I photocopies all of the things I need for I think the first two weeks, so that's awesome. We spent a lot longer than I thought we would, so I ended up buying the girls lunch at Wendy's. I wish I'd taken a pic at school, but I didn't. 

On the way home we stopped in at Old Navy and got more new clothes. After that I walked the dog and eventually found Ken, Alice and Fiona at Paradise Beach Taco Bar. Again, I'm sad I didn't take a pic but I had walked really far with the dog, and the mosquitos were really bad!

After that we went to the zoo for Glow in the Wild. It was so awesome. SO AWESOME! The lantern displays - like Chinese Silk Lanterns, but not made of silk, were beautiful. The music, the dark, the displays were all so beautiful. We walked through/around for almost an hour and a half. My friend Taunia who started working at the zoo this summer got us a 30% discount on the tickets so that was spectacular!

Saturday
This was originally supposed to be our ROM day, but Stiven invited Ken and I to come to the temple when he was receiving his endowment, so we had to go! It was a beautiful session and I was so glad that we were there.

After that we went home, I walked the dog, Ken did grocery shopping and then we were off to Riz and an escape room. Oh my goodness we LOVE Riz. We loved our food, we all ate lots, except Ken who didn't quite get enough. 

We had a little bit of time to kill after Riz, first we went to a gaming store and bought cute squishmallows for the girls.

Then we drove to the Danforth, the sky was amazing. 

We went into the escape room place, but they weren't ready for us, so we walked down the street and got some gelato. I had to take a pic with this pig!

The escape room place was called Daydream Adventures. It was in the basement of a storefront. It was a little warm, and a little musty, but the rooms were so cool. Unlike the escape room place we've been to in Whitby, this place lets you take pics of everything. 

Our rooms were a forest and a witch's house. The witch had stolen all of the good magic from the forest. Our job was to find things to release the good magic back into the forest.

I don't know if we "won" or not, because it was a little rushed at the end, and a little more loosey goosey. We didn't really need hints until the end, and with two, maybe three hints we were able to finish solving it. 

Sunday
Today was Stiven's last Sunday at church. It was also Fast and Testimony Sunday. I bore my testimony. Something I've been wanting to do for a few months, but there just wasn't time. Stiven bore his testimony too, and it was beautiful. He and Alice have become really good friends. He's off to BYUI for the year, and will serve a mission at some point thereafter. 

Ken and I had a beautiful walk with the dog this morning. I didn't have as many morning walks with Ken this summer as usual, but I did have lots the last few weeks.

Alice gave Stiven the friendship bracelet she made for him.

Group shot of such a wonderful group of friends.

We had the missionaries over for dinner tonight. They are such sweet and good servants of the Lord. I'm so grateful to have them come and share their spirit with us. Ken made rice and peas and jerk chicken. It was so good!

Here's Elder Frishnecht and Elder Blandamer when they came over two weeks ago - because why not!

Monday
This morning Ken and I were going to walk the dog at Greenwood, but I forgot! That meant we didn't have time, so we walked over to Fiona's school instead. The construction around the school is still crazy! The parking lot is still a mess, the area around the school is a mess, I feel badly for the principal! Hopefully everyone will do their part to not make drop off and pick up unbearable. You can see scaffolding on one side where they were rebricking and didn't quite finish. What you can't see in this pic is the torn up field where they're replacing the water main.

Next up it was the ROM. We haven't been in ages. 

We saw the special exhibit about bees. I don't know what I was expecting, but the art/music aspect of the exhibit wasn't it. It was cool.

Ken was in a silly mood!

We explored Egypt, Rome, Psychedelics, Japanese Art - and how important touch is to the experience, the live bees, and the kids area a little bit and dinosaurs. Then we grabbed some McDonald's on the way home.

When we got home I ate lunch (I didn't want fries) and Ken fixed Fiona's bike - yay Ken. After that we took Milo for a walk at Greenwood. It was so beautiful out. 

I don't know if this was the summer I imagined it would be. I don't know I was intentional enough about how I spent my time, but I took care of my family and that's important. 

 

Grade 12, 10, and 8 this year. We will have two graduations in June! Here's to another amazing school year.