Clement, Florence Grace

Florence Grace Clement (1889-1988) was born November 8, 1889 to Edwin Perry Clement and Janie Elizabeth Bowlby Clement in Berlin (Kitchener). She was educated first in town and later at Havergal College in Toronto. In her early twenties Florence went to England and then to Germany to study voice, but a sudden bout of homesickness sent her back to Berlin just before the outbreak of WWI. Back in Berlin she continued to be involved in music, and spent much time in Northern Ontario vacationing with her family. She looked after her mother when she was elderly, and after her passing Florence spent much time traveling.

Florence was very active in the community as a life member of Trinity United Church being in the choir and the women’s organization, a charter member of the Queen Anne chapter of I.O.D.E., a life member of the Canadian Red Cross, and a charter member of the Westmount Country Club where she was an accomplished golfer. She was also an active donor to the Tom Thomson Gallery and a life member, probably stemming from her close relationship with her cousin A.Y. Jackson. Florence was responsible for keeping much of the family history and made a great effort to trace her genealogy. She also inherited many of the antiques from her mother, some of which now reside at the ROM. Florence spent her later years living at the Preston Springs retirement home until her death at the age of 98 in 1988.