14 November 1962 - 14 March 2023
Daughter of Kathleen Starr Bruce-Robertson (née McCormick) and the late Alan Bruce-Roberston, M.D., d.1996. Sister of Erica (George Cooke) and Lawrence (Jane Reagh). Aunt of Arthur and Jessie Cooke, and Julia, Caroline, and William Bruce-Robertson.
Philippa lived in Orillia for most of her life, and for the last 15 years at the Orillia 4 house of Christian Horizons. She was an active member of Living Hope Christian Reformed Church in Orillia for 40 years, and she was a dedicated employee of Orillia Today Newspaper, delivering the paper for 15 years.
Known affectionately as ‘Pip’ or ‘Pippy’, Philippa enjoyed being surrounded by the people she cared about: her family, her housemates Alice, Paul, Dorothy, Kelly and (until recently) Ryan at Orillia 4, and her close friends from church and the community. Pip enjoyed her 60th Birthday last November with friends and family at her favourite place-her church.
She wore a beautiful ball gown for the occasion and said that she felt like a princess. Pip was quiet, but had a secret love for adventure. She loved attending church, singing, sitting and colouring, and enjoying a lunch out with friends, but she also loved swimming (complete with water slides), roller coasters, T-ball, and attending camp at Shadow Lake.
Pip had a strong will and liked things orderly. At home with her family, Pip loved the ritual of afternoon tea. She could play solitaire for hours, moving the cards around in accordance with rules that only she understood. On Christmas Day she played the role of Santa, finding and handing out each gift. She especially liked finding something under the tree with the name ‘Pip’ on it. One gift was a pair of red gloves with little bells attached. Pip went around the room, showing them to each person, shaking the gloves to make them ring. Each time she shook them, she laughed and laughed. She thought they were so funny!
Philippa loved music and sang along with all the Christmas carols. Philippa died peacefully at her home in Orillia. Her final days were spent surrounded by family, friends, housemates, and staff, who spent their time sharing memories, some sweet, some humorous, and all precious. She was loved by all who knew her.
Pip was a woman who had a strong faith in Jesus, and her confident trust in her Lord was inspiring to those around her. While we miss her, we are grateful that she is at home with her Saviour.
Pip’s family would like to thank Shanna McCallum, Jennifer Abbot, Michele Morningstar, Phyllis Elliot, Wavey Vincent, Lindsey Poole, Rebecca Campitelli, Sarah Zinn, Mary Barkey, Donna White, Joanne Weiss, and all the staff at Christian Horizons for their generosity, their kindness, their deep respect for Pip, and their vocation to the creation of a caring community.
They have been true friends to Pip, as have Pastor Jane Porter, Bill Freeman and Gail Dupuis, Frances Baird, Jackie Taylor, Leona Pitman, Carol Glidden, and others from Pip’s church community.
The family would also like to thank Katherine Whissel, Pip’s palliative care nurse, Sarah Carter, Pip’s palliative massage therapist, and Dr. Julie Gallagher for their compassionate care. A funeral service will be held at 2pm on Friday April 21st at Living Hope Christian Reformed Church (50 Fittons Road West, Orillia), with interment at a later date in the family plot in the Toronto Necropolis.
onations in memory of Philippa may be made to Christian Horizons (https://christianhorizons.org), Living Hope Christian Reformed Church (https://livinghopeorillia.com), or a charity of your choice. Messages of condolence are welcomed at www.mundellfuneralhome.com.