Ann Elizabeth Margaret Clayton

Ann Elizabeth Margaret Clayton (nee Livingston) was exceptionally British, proud of her English and Scottish ancestry, a world traveler, very creative and entrepreneurial and completely devoted to her family. In the spirit of her seagoing Scottish sea captains, Ann as a young wife and mother crossed the Atlantic with her husband Maurice and their two young sons Christopher and Stephen to start a new life in Canada. First setting up home in Victoria BC she gave birth to her daughter Lucy. Eventually the family settled in Ottawa where Maurice became an architect with CMHC and Ann went to work as an architectural designer. They raised their family in Manor Park, a welcoming community which remained Ann’s home for more than 60 years.

Ann had many skills and interests. A consummate weaver, her shawls and throws are enjoyed all over the world. She also loved gardening; sweet peas and roses were her favourites. From her father, she inherited a love of painting; she was a wonderful watercolour artist taking weekly classes well into her 90s and exhibiting and selling her artwork at various venues in Ottawa.

After Maurice died in 2007, Ann became the “Gallivanting Granny” cruising to Alaska, and around the Caribbean, crossing the Atlantic and sailing the North Sea. Another trip saw her cruising the Black Sea and fulfilling a long held dream to see the Parthenon in Athens and the Santa Sofia in Istanbul, both of which she knew intimately from her studies in College for an Architectural degree, where she had met Maurice, a WWII glider pilot. She also travelled to Australia several times to stay with her brother Alasdair and his growing family; she was their beloved “Auntie Ann”.

She had many happy visits with Lucy, Gary and her grandson Maxwell in Hood River, Oregon often spending Christmas with them. She loved spending time with Lucy‘s many friends and loved nothing more than helping in Lucy’s ‘s flower shop.

Ann loved when Christopher and Helen would come from Toronto with their children Ryan and Laurel. She was a wonderful cook particularly known for her traditional British roast beef Sunday dinner with roast potatoes, gravy and Yorkshire puddings! To know Ann was to love her. She was one of the kindest and sweetest persons who ever lived; everyone who met her was drawn to her lovely personality.

In her later years, especially after Maurice died in 2007 Ann was blessed to be so well looked after by Stephen and Alison as well as Alison’s family. Alison‘s sister Martha Greatrex travelled with Ann to Paris, Brussels and Newfoundland and visited with her every week to run errands, go shopping or just sit and have a visit. Geoffrey Greatrex, Alison‘s brother would often walk over to Ann‘s apartment for either a home-cooked meal or to bring her some freshly baked treats. And there were so many holiday celebrations that included Alison’s sister-in-law Helen Greatrex, a fellow Brit with whom Ann loved spending time.

Alison used to say that Ann was the “World’s Best Mother-In-Law”: the two of them shared a love of mystery novels and enjoyed many a discussion about stories set in Tudor times! Alison made sure that anything and everything in Ann’s life ran smoothly.

In the later part of her life Ann loved family driving her around Ottawa, especially her old neighbourhood of Manor Park and up to the Gatineau Hills. The Wakefield Bakery was a special stop! Ann was curious about everything: she read the Ottawa Citizen every day and regularly used her iPad right up until her 97th birthday.

Ann will be missed by her children, Christopher (Helen); Stephen (Alison); Lucy (Gary); her grandchildren, Ryan (Wallis); Laurel (Victor); Maxwell (Signe) and by her extended family Martha and Geoffrey Greatrex.

The family wants to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the kind people at the Edinburgh Retirement Residence.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, at 11 a.m. at St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church (125 MacKay Street, Ottawa).