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Wapomeo: 1947-48; 1974
The summers of 1947-48, Jo-Jo Shields was the "Polywog" driver, a diminutive ball of energy who remembered the names of all Wap campers hitching a ride on that boat to the stables each day.
She also shared her innate creativity and ongoing education at the Ontario College of Art with campers and staff in the Art Shop, Craft Shop, sketching trips, Wap theatre and the Final Show.
She was an accomplished rider, canoeist, sailor and naturalist.
And, she was the instigator of many clever pranks!
In 1974 she returned to the Island she loved as Nursery Counselor, with Jane Leuty Audet, for the five little campers of the chefs Colette and Basil Davison, Weaver Susie Roth Russell and Sue "Swebbs" Ebbs (Hayhurst).
Janine Davison, Holly Russell, Barb (Barbara Jean) Hayhurst, aged 3, Morgan Russell and Jimmy Hayhurst, aged 5, had an adventuresome and fun-filled summer with their two extraordinary keepers.
A couple of years later Jo returned, this time to Little Wap, to help Couchie and Dr. Harry in their retirement.
In the 1990s, Jo's continuing friendship with the Ebbs' and Hayhursts brought her daughter Vicki Brown to stay with Couchie on Little Wap for four Augusts.
Now Jo's granddaughters, Jessica and Rebecca Crayford-Brown are Wap Pottery and Riding Instructors respectively.
Jo had more than nine lives, beginning when she was born one of triplets, each weighing just over 2 pounds - in 1927!
A miracle at the time. Jo never kept pace with her identical twin sister's and brother's physical growth after she broke her back, at 13, falling from a rope while swinging out of a haymow.
The resulting myriad operations and chronic health problems throughout her life certainly didn't stop her from living life to the fullest.
Jo traveled extensively to learn more about various media for her art.
She painted, sketched, etched, sculpted, welded.
She worked with clay, glass, pewter, bronze, wood, plaster.
You name it, she tried it, always with deep passion.
One of her largest bronze creations hangs in the rotunda of BCE Place in Toronto, but most of her works reside in homes of friends to whom she freely and lovingly gave them.
A thousand stories exist about Jo's generosity, eccentricity, sophisticated knowledge, brilliant sense of humour; her capacity to make learning fun and exciting.
Vicki gave me a list of a few people to call about Jo's death.
The first on the list was a butcher at St. Lawrence Market who came to Jo's service at St. James Cathedral.
At the Market, Jo was known to all the vendors who now will remember her racing around on her electric scooter, Harley Davidson logo on the front, Harley Davidson sunglasses on her nose, with her tiny Yorky Tyson's ears flapping as he sat confidently in front of her.
The mischievous twinkle in her eye, ready puns, funky gifts for under a dollar, natty hats, her uninhibited expression of joy at the wonders around her, and her "I love you" whenever she said good-bye, will remain in all the hearts she touched.
Her beloved Tyson is happily settled in at Couchie's last home.
(I can hear Jo saying "Oh, boy!
Really?")
Sue "Swebbs" Ebbs |