Celebration of Joy: Testimonials
Testimonial Writers...
It is not everyone who can write when invited to do so, but you can experience here the words of many who did respond to an invitation to reminisce about their own personal association with Joy in their daily lives, in her artwork, and in her role in the cultural community. It is most often the people in our lives who become most prominent in retrospect, and Joy MacFadyen affected, in a positive way, the lives of many of her friends and cultural colleagues. The times and moments are here, precious in their expression, and notable in the history of Scarborough.
I was born and educated in South Africa but left at the age of 23 to get married to my South African fiancé, who was working in Brazil at the time. I lived for a decade in South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Chile), during which time I got divorced (after seven years) and married my second husband, Donald. Don and I lived in Argentina for three years and then spent five more in Long Island, N.Y. before ending up in Canada. Don was one of Canada’s ace night intruder fighter pilots during the Second World War, and we were married for 46 years before he died in 2009.
I started painting in 1969 and joined The Art Guild of Scarborough in 1970. At the first general meeting I attended I made the mistake of suggesting having a “costume” ball and was immediately appointed to arrange it. I never did learn to keep my mouth shut after that because I ended up serving in several positions on the executive committee before becoming president on four separate occasions for a total of 25 years.
In 1978 I was one of the founding board members of the Scarborough Arts council and served as its president from 1979 to 1983. Honoured for my volunteer work by Recreation and Parks Ontario as “Citizen of the Year” in 1984, I almost “died” having to make a speech to over 600 people because of it. Over the years I’ve been blessed with numerous awards for paintings displayed at guild shows and I’ve painted many commissioned portraits in my time as well — among the many were five for the Monarchist League of Canada and 18 for a Lipton Soup ‘Family Pride’ contest. I even have a website at www.joymacfadyen.ca.
Christine Valentini
It was in 1983 when I was encouraged by my night school art teacher Reimer Reinke to join the Art Guild of Scarborough. That’s where I met Joy, she took me under her wing and that started a long-lasting friendship.
Joy was like another mother to me, a mentor, kind, very creative, witty, sophisticated and always encouraging. She called me her surrogate daughter and I always felt warm and fuzzy inside when she said that.
Joy was the main force behind the establishment of Arts Scarborough.
Her commitment and financial help saved this worthwhile organization from going bankrupt.
She had a wonderful way to recruit people to volunteer, I know, I was one of them.Not only did Joy help with Arts Scarborough, she also shaped the Art Guild of Scarborough for what it is today. She was the president for many years, was admired by many members and helped increase the Art Guild membership. The many professional Art demonstrations and juried art shows helped many artists become better painters. Joy created many beautiful portraits, sculptures and unique pieces of art and always made the one of a kind table centerpieces for the Art Guild Shows. Everyone would be curious to see what she created for the Spring and Fall shows.
We organized the Agincourt library show for many years and volunteered together when ever we could. Over the years she inspired me to keep painting even when I moved to Aurora. She was one of the main reasons I made the trip to Scarborough for so many years.
I was glad that Joy was honoured to have the Art Guild of Scarborough Free Spirit Award named after her. Joy was very surprised, grateful and appreciative and hoped that future recipients will have spirits as free as hers was. I was very honoured to be the first person to receive this Joy MacFadyen free spirit award a few years ago.
For a few years Joy and I took adult art classes at Wexford Collegiate Art Centre, we learned a lot, and had a great time. The monthly ‘Les Girls’ lunches with 4 other artists were always creative and fun. Over the many years some moved on and others joined us. Beryl Forster, Norma Heaver, Tina Noble and Joan Golden was our last Les Girls group. After Norma and Tina passed away we had a few more meetings and then the pandemic put an end to all of it.Joy enjoyed her mom’s visits from South Africa every other year and wrote a long memoir about her. She also wrote many other excellent articles, helped proof read some of my correspondence and took her very detailed Art Guild Facebook postings very seriously.
Not that long ago she was tap dancing, only after an ankle injury did she slow down. She struggled with some serious health issues at the end, but never gave up and never lost her sense of humour.
The pandemic kept us apart and at the end, I unfortunately and sadly, could not be with Joy. She died just 6 months before her 90th birthday.
I do miss her soft voice, encouragement and smile. She will always be missed.
Sincerely
Christine Valentini
Karin Eaton
Memories of Joy
I thought that Joy was timeless and would be in my life forever.
We all treasure our own unique memories of Joy – painting, dancing, skating,
playing, drinking a cup of tea with a tasty snack, working together on board
strategies, scheming a new project or refining an old one, crafting a whimsical
doodad, laughing. Yes, laughter. With Joy there was always laughter.
Joy and I met in the early 1980’s when I was doing promotion for the Scarborough
Theatre Guild and we quickly bonded because of our shared South African
heritage. Our friendship grew as she drew me into volunteering for the newly
formed community arts council, Arts Scarborough. As part of a team, we worked
hard to navigate the organization through challenging times into becoming one of
the most respected and progressive community arts councils in Ontario.
Joy had a special skill to make people want to work with her., which I think had
something to do with her sweet smile and gentle but determined way. In my case,
she nudged me through a series of volunteer positions to becoming President of
Arts Scarborough. At first she practically held my hand to get me through the
early Board Meetings.
Joy was always at my side as she was for so many other people. She was my
mentor and guiding light as I took on different roles in community arts
management. By the time I was appointed Executive Director of Arts Scarborough
(now Scarborough Arts) I figured Joy thought she had done her job and turned her
focus back to the Art Guild of Scarborough and her own creative endeavours.
I always referred to Joy as the mother of Arts Scarborough and I can say with
certainty that it would not have flourished the way it did without Joy’s quiet
determination, integrity and calm leadership. Perhaps I should have called her our
guardian angel.
I miss Joy’s twinkling eyes, her wicked sense of humour and chats with her over a
cup of tea, and later, her whimsical Facebook posts.
It is no exaggeration that Joy changed the course of my life, for which I am deeply
grateful. Because of her encouragement I was surrounded by the arts in all itsmany forms and have had the privilege of working with many, many amazing
artists. And she paved the way for the arts to thrive in Scarborough.
Yes, I thought that Joy was timeless. Now I hold a vision of her in my heart and
her legacy lives with me forever
D. Paul Schafer
Joy MacFadyen’s Contributions to the Development of the Arts in Scarborough
The arts didn’t really take off in Scarborough in a municipal, public, and community sense
until Joy MacFadyen arrived on the scene. Joy was actively involved in the creation of
Arts Scarborough with Sal Amenta and several others; chaired the Task Force that
produced An Arts Policy for Scarborough – one of the first comprehensive arts policies
ever created by a municipality in Canada that was unanimously adopted by Scarborough
Council as the City’s official arts policy on January 15, 1983 – and chaired the Task Force
that developed Scarborough’s Five-Year Arts Plan adopted by the Council in 1984.
Joy was one of those rare individuals who was not only capable of accomplishing an
enormous amount and make many valuable contributions to the developments of the arts
in Scarborough and elsewhere in their own right, but also brought out the best in other
people and enabled them to accomplish a great deal as well. In Joy’s case, this was true
not just for the arts and crafts, and also for many other areas of cultural life.
I owe Joy so much for her friendship, thoughtfulness, sense of humour, and all the many
contributions she made to my life and work in the arts and cultural field over more than
twenty years. I am so grateful to her for helping me get the World Culture Project off the
ground between 1988 and 1995, as well as editing and typing several of the publications in
the World Culture Project series on culture in general and Canadian culture in particular.
I will never forget her and how much she enriched my life and my work in the arts and
cultural field.
D. Paul Schafer, Founder and Director, World Culture Project and author of The Great Cultural Awakening:
Key to an Equitable, Sustainable, and Harmonious Age and other books on the arts and culture in general
and Canada in particular.
Yvonne Komlenovitch
Contact Yvonne for her testimonial
Joy was an excellent president of the Art Guild of Scarborough. She was also one of the nicest people in the art world that I have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing, and working with.
Gary Faulkner
Celebration of Joy MacFadyen
Chinese Cultural Centre
July 20th , 2023
Today we honour the memory of a wonderful woman, good friend and inspiration to many of us for years, Joy MacFadyen Just a few of the many accomplishments that Joy had.
In 1978 she represented the Art Guild at a conference and at that meeting the idea of Scarborough Arts was formed.
She created 60 TV episodes where she would interview local artists and showcase their artwork.
She was a member of the Art Guild since 1970 and the president for 20 years plus a member of the executive for years in other roles. Up until she died Joy would do our weekly Face Book postings to share with our members. I was always amazed at the detail she would be able to capture and document during our demonstrations.
She was a very accomplished writer, a talented artist of landscapes, portraits and assemblage.
Joy was one of the finalists last year in the 2022 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards.As for character she was always encouraging, inspiring, tolerant and had a witty sense of humour that endeared her to all of us.
At one of my first meetings of the Art Guild Joy stood out in a crowded room. I knew then that I had to get to know this woman. At my first Christmas dinner I witnessed Joy on stage in her tutu and her puppet, she was an entertainer too.
As president I would talk to Joy regularly on issues that were sensitive and she would share with me her considerate and thoughtful wisdom. She was definitely speaking from experience.
A big part of Joy’s life was her love of wildlife. Behind her house was a ravine and she always had a company of critters there looking for their next meal.
In closing, for many of the Art Guild members Joy was the Art Guild of Scarborough. This club has survived and been successful for 60 years and to do that you have to have a very strong foundation.
Joy was our foundation . Many of us consider Joy as the matriarch of the Art Guild of Scarborough.
During the last year each of us have had moments when we thought of Joy and while at times they have caused us to grieve they also cause us to smile. I think Joy would be happy knowing that her memories left us with a smile because that is what we did in Joy’s presence.
Margaret Jamieson
I remember going to Joy’s house and seeing all the things she had made from her imagination. I was amazed at her ability to create ideas and put those ideas into reality. Joy took part in a few of the Art Guild shows at Christmas time and she had puppets that she had made herself, and she performed with them on stage!
They were amazing! The sad thing was, when we stopped putting on the shows! We had fun and made friends with the other performers.
Katherine Clements
Joy was such a special person and a very dear friend to me and to my parents, Beatrice and Robert Bruce. Robert was a navigator and flew with Don in World War II. Their faith and friendship lasted all their lives. Joy and I continued our friendship long after Don and my parents had died and I valued her enormously. I shall never forget her.
Diana Li
I met Joy when I joined the Art Guild of Scarborough about 20 years ago when she was the President, a beautiful lady with a beautiful mind, always helpful, inspiring, gentle, smart, humorous, artistic and creative. She became my role model ever since and I will always remember her.
Lyn Barret-Cowan
I enjoyed the Art Guild when I was in Toronto and for many years Joy sent me the weekly meeting updates, sometimes with a personal note and photos of the wildlife that would appear outside her living room window. I miss her a lot. I am very glad that there was a memorial to celebrate Joy’s life and her many achievements.
Sheila Ewing
On a quiet evening in 1984 my telephone rings. It is Naomi Lightbourne, from the Ontario Arts Council, asking me if I would like a challenge. Would I meet with the Board of Directors of Arts Scarborough? I say, yes. The board members are a dedicated and committed group, prepared to work hard to resolve a $250,000 debt and keep the organization moving forward.
I was prepared to work with them because collectively we believed in the importance of the arts to the community and to society as a whole.On my first day, I answered many phone calls from angry people wanting answers. I, in turn, made many phone calls to Joy whose phone number is imbedded in my memory. Joy was my go-to person. She had the day-to-day knowledge that was necessary for us to move forward. With her calm and sensitive manner, along with her witty sense of humour, Joy helped me through some dark difficult days. By 1987, Arts Scarborough was on sound financial footings once again and ready for the future.
Joy was a very special person. Arts Scarborough (now Scarborough Arts) was fortunate to have Joy by its side and Scarborough was fortunate to have had Joy as one of its most outstanding citizens.
Over the years, we developed a special friendship. I loved going to Joy’s house for “tea,” served with style and elegance as only Joy could do. I loved our phone calls, letters and emails. I loved sending her parcels as she was so excited when she received them. I loved her sense of humour, sometimes tinged with a little wickedness. I am so glad Joy was my friend and I miss her very much.
Elaine Salani
Regretfully I will not be able to attend the tribute for Joy. She has been greatly missed with her wonderful creative ways and sense of humour.
Carole Robitaille
Joy was always up there on my list of favourite people to know in my life.
Sal Amenta
My Ode to Joy
In 1977, Joy and I met at a luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture to encourage the formation of one of the first community arts councils in Ontario. In 1978 when Joy became President, I became her Vice-President, and we set to work on a constitution for Arts Scarborough. We served together in recruiting arts and crafts groups to join what later became the Scarborough Arts Council, which touched the lives of many arts lovers.
Though I left the Council in the 80’s, Joy continued to create a community which celebrates the arts and crafts. In so doing, she helped to erase the cultural profile of a “Scarberia” as an artistic wasteland. It was through her colossal efforts that Joy proudly showed Toronto how culturally rich Scarborough actually was and continues to be.
Joy and I nurtured our friendship for 46 years. Whenever she asked me to jury exhibitions or make presentations at the Art Guild, I looked forward to our hugs more than anything else.
Wherever you are, Joy, we send you virtual hugs until we meet again.
Tim Godfrey
Joy’s husband, Don, fought in WW2 with my father. Joy and I became friends and stayed in touch mainly by email. We had a mutual love of cats and wild animals. She was always sending me interesting things; never the ordinary.
What a lovely, talented, humorous person she was.
I miss her. She will be impossible to replace.
Sue Taylor
Most of my memories of Joy were the summers we spent on Eel’s Lake at my grandfather’s island cottage. We had such fun there with Aunt Joy, Uncle Don, Rod and Papboy.
Joy’s hang-out was the boathouse aka art studio. Amazing creations were made there and my mom and I loved to join to see her in action.Joy also welcomed me and my family to her house every Sunday while she was taking such good care of my grandfather. Joy was the best host and always had freshly baked goodies for us all. Looking back, I can’t imagine how she did it and was so good humoured about giving up all her Sundays to our tribe.
Joy was so many good things to so many people. Always fun and so beautiful and full of charm.
I miss Joy and her emails so much.
Lynne Woods
Joy was a very friendly, beautiful and talented person, I still miss her at the Guild meetings.
I was fortunate to visit her at her home and received one of her paintings, which I cherish very much, and have it hung in my living room.
Joan Chapman
Joy was one of my dearest friends during our years of line dancing, tap and clogging classes.
Joy did a portrait of our dance teacher, Wayne. I really miss her and think of her often.
A painting she did for me of my two cats is displayed on my living-room wall and is a constant reminder of her talent for art.
Wayne Williams
Joy was a unique part of my dance classes. She was a very engaging, kind and generous soul. As with her artistic flair, Joy contributed immensely to our repertoire of dance styles. She was particularly gifted by her ability to inject comedy relief at every occasion by means of her quick-witted repartee.
Joy was also a very compassionate person, particularly when it came to wildlife and even insects. She told me she created escape routes for mice in her house to give them freedom – she would NEVER approve of any kind of pest control methods. Joy was also a good friend and ally to me by providing much-needed support on more than one occasion. She shared many stories and experiences with me and I came to understand the type of loving and caring spirit she possessed.
I’m happy that Joy chose dancing as another art form to express her feelings and many talents.
Sheila McCoy
Joy greeted me at the Art Guild of Scarborough’s meeting with
…….“Ah, you have come just in time we are looking for more help on our Executive Board. We are looking for a Vice President.”
Joy could be very persuasive and I think that was her secret for being the long-time President of the Guild.Joy would write skits and plays and we were all expected to “dress up” and act our part. I was once designated as a Mouse in a play titled, “A Frog He would a Wooing Go.” Joy was the Judge in the event, as well as the narrator – and I turned out to be the “bad guy”
– but lots of laughs…
I left Scarborough in 2002, but our friendship didn’t stop and we had weekly catch-up emails, jokes, photos of gardens, flowers, garden wildlife and pussy cats.
In 2014 I set up a website for Joy with her artwork. She was a very talented lady, with a wicked sense of humour, and will be remembered not only by me, but by the hundreds of people she came into contact with – she was that kind of lady.
R.I.P. Joy
Valerie Russell
Joy was certainly a force to be recognized. I think for all of us the next few years will include unexpected reminders of the way she influenced and impacted our lives.
Joy wasn’t a woman to mince words and her “wicked” sense of humor was accepted by us all! She certainly lived up to her name (Joy) which is what kept most of the people that knew her coming back for “more”
She was not only a great portrait artist, her creativity was admired by all and she was definitely a “free spirit” in every sense of the word.
If she were here today, she would remind us with these words:
When I am gone, release me, let me go….I have so many things to see and do…..
You must not tie yourself to me with tears, be happy that we had these precious years.
I thank you for the “joy” you each have shown, but now it’s time for me to travel on alone.
So, grieve for me a while, if grieve you must, then let your grief be comforted by trust
I won’t be far away, for life goes on, so if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can’t see or touch me, I’ll be near and if you listen with your heart then you will
hear my voice around you, soft and clear.And when you come this way alone,
I’ll greet you with my hand and say “welcome home.”
Jacquie Tjandra
Sadly, I will not be able to attend the celebration of life for Joy. I’m sorry to be missing this as she really was such a “Joy”.
I knew Joy from The Art Guild of Scarborough and I remember her as a very welcoming person who encouraged us all in our artistic endeavours and my goodness what a wonderful sense of humour!
Usha Kumar
Joy was a sweet lady and she is always in my heart.
We pray her soul rests in peace
Martha O'Neill
One of my favourite memories of Joy was enjoying conversations by Lake Ontario in Pickering with the Bridge Ladies; Joy, June James, Catherine Pitt and myself.
Mishy Moffat
She was a valued member of our neighbourhood tea group and a very interesting and memorable person.
We miss her a lot.
Bernice Bain
I remember Joy as a good neighbor, a good friend and a great Bridge partner, but mostly I remember her for the kindness she showed to me and my family on the death of my husband, Bruce, four years ago.
She offered to paint his portrait for me and it has become one of my most treasured possessions.
D. Paul Schafer
Joy was one of the most exceptional individuals I have had the privilege of working with.
I am deeply grateful to her for all the help she provided in getting the World Culture Project
off the ground as well as for editing and typing several of the publications in the World Culture Project series.I will never forget her many kindnesses and excellent leadership. I particularly remember the role she played in getting my book Arguments for the Arts published by the Scarborough Arts Council. I was having difficulty finding a publisher. But she read the book once and said she would get it published, and before too long, this book was published and in circulation.
The same was true with the publication of the book we created on Nikita Marner.
Joy immediately acted and “got the job done” when it was needed most.
Peter Marsh
JOY MACFADYEN, A CULTURAL ICON OF RENOWN
Joy MacFadyen, a name synonymous with cultural development in Scarborough since the 1970’s, was born in Pietermariitzberg, South Africa, 1932. Joy had already led an eventful and interesting life in both South Africa and South America before arriving in Canada in 1967 married to flying ace and Canadian war hero Don MacFadyen.
Joy’s happy entrance to The Art Guild of Scarborough in 1970 led to many years of volunteerism and included the winning of many prestigious community awards. Inside The Guild Joy was the regular winner of painting awards and was also a regular holder of executive offices including many years on and off as the president of the organization. In 1978 Joy was invited to participate in a committee of The City of Scarborough, The Ontario Arts Council, and The Ministry of Culture. The resulting steering committee was used to establish the “Arts Scarborough” arts council of which Joy was nominated as a member of the board. Many things grew from her participation, a long series of TV shows interviewing artists, multicultural weeks at The Town Centre, various concerts, participation in Arts Scarborough Canada Day floats, and serving on the founding board of Human Services of Scarborough.
Joy participated in the “Arts in Action” Conference to establish a five year arts plan for the city. In 1982 she was designated Citizen of The Year by the Provincial Recreation and Parks Department. Further along the way Joy received other medals for volunteerism, a Bicentennial Award from the province and another from the Federal Government celebrating 125 years of Confederation.
Joy took some painting classes when she was a resident of Long Island with Rod her husband before coming to Canada. That early start was broadened by artists who demonstrated their expertise at the meetings of The Guild, and also by painting with the many friends she met there. In addition, Joy had mentioned that she also found a great increase in her knowledge of artistic skills and artistic media by attending adult classes at Wexford Collegiate School For The Arts during the 80’s.
Joy has received many awards from participating in the annual exhibitions of The Art Guild of Scarborough. Her portrait of Nikita Marner is proudly held in the permanent collection of Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery. The existential Art Gallery of Scarborough (Gallery X) is displaying over 100 portraits in this remarkable memorial exhibition. Joy had a great love for animals which she included in her painting endeavours. Assemblages have always been whimsical creations that she has made constantly over the years. Her singing, dancing, and acting have been part of many amateur performances and Joy has always brought happiness to others with her love of creating uniquely funny hats, costumes, and papier mache center pieces for celebrations and banquets.
A few weeks before Joy moved to another place in this universe, she phoned me at Gallery X and said she was going to donate the $2000 monetary award she had just received as a winner of the City of Toronto Arts Awards, to Gallery X, as she was sure that we “would be successful in establishing a substantial new gallery for Scarborough”. It was a truly remarkable expression of continuing support for The Arts in Scarborough, a path Joy had proudly taken throughout her lifetime.