October 26, 1914 - January 27, 2022
Inez was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) in South America, the second child of William Arthur Shepherd and Annetta Rosa Shepherd (née Bailey). She moved to Canada in 1983 to live with her youngest son, Roderick, and lived out the remainder of her years in Brampton, Wasaga Beach, and Collingwood, Ontario, making frequent trips to visit her children and family abroad in England, the United States, Jamaica, Barbados, and Guyana, or to travel with them on vacation to other countries.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vincent Percival; siblings Cecil, James, Phyllis, Christopher, Frederick, Wilfred, and Stanley; children Vincent (Christina), Joan (Laurence) Wedderburn and Richard (Rose); as well as grandsons Howard Chung and Duane Wallace.
Inez is survived by her children Hazel (Patrick) Knight, Bernice (Walter) Chin, David (Irina), Jennifer (Richard) Joseph, Joy (Raymond) Wallace, and Roderick (Barbara), as well as 28 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
In 2014, she moved to Sunset Manor in Collingwood, and in October of that year, celebrated her 100th birthday. Her photograph was placed on the Home’s Centenarian Wall, and she received congratulations from the Queen of England, Prime Minister of Canada, and Mayor of Wasaga Beach. Inez lived to become Sunset Manor’s oldest resident ever.
A multi-talented and skilled woman, she was an excellent teacher who taught Bible classes and Sunday school as well as piano to children in Guyana and Canada. She was a creative seamstress and enjoyed playing Scrabble, assembling jigsaw puzzles, watching various sports, and playing the piano well into her 90s.
She was a devout Christian and honorary “Mom” to many, and will forever be remembered by her family and by many others who loved and respected her, whose lives she impacted and who will seek to carry on her legacy of family, faith, and love.