Obituary for Jacquelyn M. Findlay
It is with great sadness that we announced the passing of Jacquelyn M Findlay, born on August 20, 1923 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Creighton MacLean and Pearl Mosher. Jackie passed away on February 27, 2022 in Anacortes, Washington.
Jackie came to the United States via steamship from Halifax, NS to New York City when she was one. Her very early years were spent in New York City, with summers in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Jackie was an only child. At 5 she moved to Newton, Massachusetts, where she lived with her uncle and aunt, Walter and Jean Archibald, and she attended the public schools. Mom excelled academically, and was awarded a full scholarship to MIT, from where she graduated 3+ years later (during WWII, there were no summer vacations) with the Class of October, 1943, with a BS in Chemical Engineering.
While at MIT Jackie met, fell in love with and married Gordon R. Findlay, a fellow MIT student, who also graduated in October, 1943 (BS Chemistry).
Mom's dream was to work in the oil fields, but back then, no company hired women, even MIT grads, for that type of work. So she and Dad started their own company, Findlay Science Engineering Company, which later incorporated into Liquid Metals, Inc., located first in Bedford, MA, and later Westford, MA. Jackie and Gordon did the engineering for the company, and at it's height, they employed approximately 30 people, mostly production workers fabricating the high technology equipment they designed. Mom was issued a US patent for a liquid metal pump she designed and their company built.
In 1946 Jackie and Gordon had a son, James Gordon, and 2 years later, a daughter, Heidi.
Mom always loved the out-of-doors, and in her earlier years enjoyed target shooting, hunting in Maine, ice skating and car camping. She also loved motorcycles! For a late honeymoon trip, Jackie and Gordon drove his Indian motorcycle from Boston to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and back, camping along the way. Because her daughter (at 3) wanted to learn how to horse-back ride, and later (at 10) ski, Mom joined in and learned too! She also, on the cultural side, was a very accomplished pianist, and a season ticket holder at the opera.
Jackie's home in Bedford was a source of pride and joy for her, she lived there for 48 years until moving to Whidbey Island, Washington in 1997. Like her Uncle Walter, who was a carpenter, Mom enjoyed working with her hands, and could be seen on the top of a 40' extension ladder, scraping and painting her home, a Dutch Colonial, 1 side per year.
In later years Mom got into administrative and then development work, working for Monadnock Paper Mills in Bennington, NH, MIT in Cambridge, MA, and Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) in Boston.
In 1997 Jackie moved to Whidbey Island, Washington, to be closer to her children, Jim and Heidi. Mom loved Whidbey Island, it reminded her very much of her earlier years in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Whidbey Island, it's a great life! Jackie's last years were spent at Regency on Whidbey in Oak Harbor, WA. There Mom had beautiful surroundings with the daily support that made life both easier and more enjoyable. We cannot praise the staff and caretakers enough, Regency was Mom's final home, and the love, compassion and respect they showed Mom, and all the residents, will forever be appreciated.
Jackie is predeceased by her parents, her aunts and uncles, including Jean and Walter Archibald, her ex-husband Gordon Findlay, her son Jim, and her good friend Ted Greenslade. She is survived by her daughter, Heidi Packer and Heidi's partner Bob Packer; Heidi's 3 sons, Matt, Jeff (and fiancée Jenny Easterberg), and Steve Gramling; and a great-granddaughter, India.
A celebration of life is planned for April. Mom's ashes will be laid to rest at Sunnyside Cemetery in Coupeville, Whidbey Island, next to her son, Jim. The cemetery has views of the waters she loved so much, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet, and the majestic volcano Mt. Baker.
Mom was a hard worker, conscientious, smart and diligent, and her eyes totally sparkled when she smiled. She was adventurous and loved to travel, traveling the country and the world by herself or with her children: Boston (and her treasured friends Nancy Cook and Sue Schur), Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, Iceland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, London, Paris, Amsterdam, the Mississippi River, the Danube River, the Greek Islands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden (and her treasured friends Gail Davison Blad, husband Lars and Mom Bjorg Davison), Hawaii, the Yangtze River and Beijing (where grandson Steve has lived for the last 4 years). A favorite saying was "Have car, will travel!"
Mom was totally devoted to her children, especially Jim, who had health challenges, especially later in life. Two children could not have had a better Mom. She will be missed beyond words.
In lieu of flowers, please give yourself and someone you love a big hug. Life is precious and you can never say and show "I love you" too much. If this doesn't feel like enough, then a donation to your local animal shelter will be appreciated and help animals looking for their "forever" home. Mom always loved animals, especially dogs, and cats too! Whenever she saw a dog, when we were out driving, etc, she would always say, "Oh, look at the dog!" She didn't comment on the person walking the dog, just the dog!
Jackie came to the United States via steamship from Halifax, NS to New York City when she was one. Her very early years were spent in New York City, with summers in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Jackie was an only child. At 5 she moved to Newton, Massachusetts, where she lived with her uncle and aunt, Walter and Jean Archibald, and she attended the public schools. Mom excelled academically, and was awarded a full scholarship to MIT, from where she graduated 3+ years later (during WWII, there were no summer vacations) with the Class of October, 1943, with a BS in Chemical Engineering.
While at MIT Jackie met, fell in love with and married Gordon R. Findlay, a fellow MIT student, who also graduated in October, 1943 (BS Chemistry).
Mom's dream was to work in the oil fields, but back then, no company hired women, even MIT grads, for that type of work. So she and Dad started their own company, Findlay Science Engineering Company, which later incorporated into Liquid Metals, Inc., located first in Bedford, MA, and later Westford, MA. Jackie and Gordon did the engineering for the company, and at it's height, they employed approximately 30 people, mostly production workers fabricating the high technology equipment they designed. Mom was issued a US patent for a liquid metal pump she designed and their company built.
In 1946 Jackie and Gordon had a son, James Gordon, and 2 years later, a daughter, Heidi.
Mom always loved the out-of-doors, and in her earlier years enjoyed target shooting, hunting in Maine, ice skating and car camping. She also loved motorcycles! For a late honeymoon trip, Jackie and Gordon drove his Indian motorcycle from Boston to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and back, camping along the way. Because her daughter (at 3) wanted to learn how to horse-back ride, and later (at 10) ski, Mom joined in and learned too! She also, on the cultural side, was a very accomplished pianist, and a season ticket holder at the opera.
Jackie's home in Bedford was a source of pride and joy for her, she lived there for 48 years until moving to Whidbey Island, Washington in 1997. Like her Uncle Walter, who was a carpenter, Mom enjoyed working with her hands, and could be seen on the top of a 40' extension ladder, scraping and painting her home, a Dutch Colonial, 1 side per year.
In later years Mom got into administrative and then development work, working for Monadnock Paper Mills in Bennington, NH, MIT in Cambridge, MA, and Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) in Boston.
In 1997 Jackie moved to Whidbey Island, Washington, to be closer to her children, Jim and Heidi. Mom loved Whidbey Island, it reminded her very much of her earlier years in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Whidbey Island, it's a great life! Jackie's last years were spent at Regency on Whidbey in Oak Harbor, WA. There Mom had beautiful surroundings with the daily support that made life both easier and more enjoyable. We cannot praise the staff and caretakers enough, Regency was Mom's final home, and the love, compassion and respect they showed Mom, and all the residents, will forever be appreciated.
Jackie is predeceased by her parents, her aunts and uncles, including Jean and Walter Archibald, her ex-husband Gordon Findlay, her son Jim, and her good friend Ted Greenslade. She is survived by her daughter, Heidi Packer and Heidi's partner Bob Packer; Heidi's 3 sons, Matt, Jeff (and fiancée Jenny Easterberg), and Steve Gramling; and a great-granddaughter, India.
A celebration of life is planned for April. Mom's ashes will be laid to rest at Sunnyside Cemetery in Coupeville, Whidbey Island, next to her son, Jim. The cemetery has views of the waters she loved so much, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet, and the majestic volcano Mt. Baker.
Mom was a hard worker, conscientious, smart and diligent, and her eyes totally sparkled when she smiled. She was adventurous and loved to travel, traveling the country and the world by herself or with her children: Boston (and her treasured friends Nancy Cook and Sue Schur), Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, Iceland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, London, Paris, Amsterdam, the Mississippi River, the Danube River, the Greek Islands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden (and her treasured friends Gail Davison Blad, husband Lars and Mom Bjorg Davison), Hawaii, the Yangtze River and Beijing (where grandson Steve has lived for the last 4 years). A favorite saying was "Have car, will travel!"
Mom was totally devoted to her children, especially Jim, who had health challenges, especially later in life. Two children could not have had a better Mom. She will be missed beyond words.
In lieu of flowers, please give yourself and someone you love a big hug. Life is precious and you can never say and show "I love you" too much. If this doesn't feel like enough, then a donation to your local animal shelter will be appreciated and help animals looking for their "forever" home. Mom always loved animals, especially dogs, and cats too! Whenever she saw a dog, when we were out driving, etc, she would always say, "Oh, look at the dog!" She didn't comment on the person walking the dog, just the dog!