Mona Sharron Forrest (1946-2024)

It is with great grief that we announce the death of Mona Sharron Forrest at age of 78 at May Court Hospice on September 21, 2024. Were she among us, she would be the first to insist that she was not ready to leave us despite the several chronic illnesses that eventually took her life.

She is loved and missed by Jackie Manthorne, her spouse of 52 years, daughter Sheanna Forrest-Manthorne, Ottawa; chosen young adult, Leo Bennie, Ottawa; chosen daughter Kassandra Reece and children Kyran Reece-Webb, Kaydence Reece, Kasey Reece-Webb and Karsyn Ivall-Reece of Ottawa; chosen daughter Alexandrea Lynn Sutherland, (Jalen), son Hartley and eagerly awaited baby Sutherland, Kirkland Lake; chosen daughter Emily Easter and children Joseph and Timothy, Ottawa; brother Brian Forrest (Mary), nephew Brent (Karou), children Emily and Luke, Tokyo; niece Caitlin (Sukhvinder), twin daughters Evangeline and Lillian, and niece Erica, all of Toronto; special friends Charles Becker, Sandy Millbank McKinley, Annabel Graham, Pamela Cooper and the many others who have supported Mona through the years, including Drs. Burns, Garuba, Christou, Glassman, Chandratre; Carefor, the palliative care at home team of nurses and doctors, especially Dr. Dyason, and May Court Hospice.

She was predeceased by her parents, James and Sylvia Forrest, and brother Ronald Forrest.

Mona was a visionary who spent most of her career in the non-profit and charitable sectors. She saw what was missing and worked with others to create new resources. The Women’s Centre of Montreal on St-Urbain, which started in 1972, is still going strong, as are Passages, a shelter for youth prostitutes and Auberge Madeleine, a shelter for homeless women. In Ottawa, she created Code Youth to teach high school dropouts to code, thus changing the trajectory of their lives. She was also one of eight people who created the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network in 2012, where she was Operations Manager until she was no longer able to work.

In recognition of her contributions to society, Mona was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Montreal Citizenship Council; the Service Award from Centraide/United Way Montreal; and the Citation for Citizenship from the federal Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship.

Friends and family may visit at the Central Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 315 McLeod Street, Ottawa on Friday, September 27, 2024 until time of funeral sevice in the chapel at 11am.  A reception will follow the service.

Please consider donating to the charities listed above or to a charity of your choice.