Joan Doris Benson saw Canada as a place to thrive

Joan Doris Benson emigrated from the U.K. to Toronto in 1947 and died in Toronto on Sept. 13, 2025, at age 98.

Joan Doris Benson died Sept. 13, 2025, in Toronto at the age of 98. She was born Sept. 25, 1926, in Chatham, Kent, U.K., and moved to Toronto in 1947. She worked for many years as a legal secretary and supported her husband John (Tiger) Benson in his businesses. She was known as a gracious hostess, a devoted mother and grandmother, and a lively presence in Toronto social life. Key details: - Born Sept. 25, 1926, in Chatham, Kent, U.K.; died Sept. 13, 2025, in Toronto of natural causes; aged 98. - Emigrated to Toronto in 1947 after saving for a one-way ticket; she had learned typing and Pittman shorthand and worked as a legal secretary. - Married John (Tiger) Benson; they raised two children, Craig and Meredy, and later had seven grandchildren. - The couple ran AVP Extrusions in Newcastle, Ont., owned a cottage in Bond Head overlooking Lake Ontario, and bought a Toronto home in 1965 that backed onto a cricket field. - She was a central figure at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club, known for hosting social gatherings and for her warm hospitality; she remained lively into her 90s despite declining memory from Alzheimer’s disease. Summary: Her family says her fearless spirit, hospitality and storytelling will live on in grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Undetermined at this time.