Orma Ileen Pearce

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our mother, Orma Ileen Pearce (née Cockram), who died at Huntsville District Memorial Hospital on January 24, 2025, in her 102nd year.

Orma was born at home in Ravenscliffe, Ontario on September 2, 1923 to parents Albert Cockram and Myrtle Cockram (née May) and was the granddaughter of Charles Cockram and Christina Cockram (née Silverwood) and Robert May and Mary Jane May (née Bridges). She was the youngest of Albert and Myrtle’s six children.

Orma grew up in Huntsville, but moved to Toronto at 18. She eventually found employment at a prominent Canadian bank and it was there she met her future husband, William Pearce. The couple wed in April of 1954.

While living in Toronto, Orma and William welcomed their daughter, Lynne, and son, Paul. They moved to Oakville in 1956 and had a third child, their son Stephen.

While the children were small, Orma worked odd jobs, took in boarders, babysat and did whatever else she could to help support the household, while William continued to work at the bank in Toronto. She re-entered the workforce with a job at Canada Freeze Dried and remained there until the company folded. William left the bank and the family moved to Huntsville in 1966.

After returning to the place she grew up, Orma worked at Parker’s Bakery and the hospital (where Fairvern is now) before taking a position at the Royal Bank where she remained until retirement. William passed suddenly on January 11, 1985 — less than a year after he and Orma had celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

Orma carried on after this profound loss and continued to demonstrate to all who knew her that she was a force to be reckoned with. Over the next four decades, she kept herself busy with an active social life, maintained a fitness routine through a local gym and her love of square dancing saw her travel far and wide to participate. 

She also made frequent treks to Casino Rama near Orillia and had an affinity for the slot machines. Under ordinary circumstances, and dealing with an ordinary person, this may have been indicative of a problem — if not for the fact she seemed to somehow triumph over the odds and win something (almost) every trip.

On September 2, 2023, Orma celebrated her 100th birthday with a “long expected party” that brought guests together from across the continent. She arrived at the celebration in a stretch limo and her big day was preserved for posterity in the final print edition of the Huntsville Forester newspaper.

 And though her health began to decline in recent months, she faced that as she had everything else in her life: with fierce independence, quiet dignity and determination. Above all, she never wanted to be a burden to anyone right to the very end.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Chrissy, whose efforts allowed Orma to continue living in her own apartment, as well as the PSWs from Homecare and the nurses from Closing the Gap.

As previously mentioned, Orma is predeceased by her husband, William, as well as her parents, grandparents and five siblings: Milton, Howard, Arnold, Violet and Dorothy. 

She is survived by her three children Lynne (Rob), Paul and Stephen (Irene). She will be dearly missed by her grandchildren — Dan (Amy), Kerry, Joanna (Terry), Sean (Genesia) and Meagan (Nick) — and her great grandchildren Julia, Ewan, Tegan and Audrey. 

She is also survived by her extended family from a later relationship: Mary, Tina, Danielle (Bob), Josie and Georgie.

The family invite friends to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at Billingsley Funeral Home, 430 Ravenscliffe Road, Huntsville from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Speeches will start at 2:00 p.m.