Obituary of Lesley (Lambert) Read

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lesley Read on January 29th at the age of 79.

Lesley was born in Blackpool, England on April 20, 1943, to the late Jack and Olga Lambert. Besides her parents, Lesley was predeceased by her beautiful daughter Sheryl.

Lesley is survived by her husband of 59 years, John Read, her three daughters Christine Read, Suzy Read (Donnie Comeau) and Julie (Malcolm) Cole, seven grandchildren, Ashley (Leah), Natasha, Jessica, Devon, Christian, Ava and Read, and five great grandchildren.

Lesley always spoke with fond memory about her childhood in England, especially the fun and trouble she got into with her cousin Paul who was like a brother to her, and the long walks she used to take with her father in the Lake District.

Lesley attended the University of Birmingham and obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree. She later earned a Masters degree in Transpersonal Psychology.

Soon after she and John were married, they moved to the US and then immigrated to Canada where they have called Sackville home for the past 57 years.

Lesley was passionate about supporting and healing others through her 35 years as a social worker for Family and Children Services, and her counselling work at Cumberland Community Home in Oxford. She also led numerous one-on-one and group counselling, therapeutic and healing touch sessions, and volunteered with palliative care. She was always the one helping a friend or neighbour in need.

When not working or volunteering, Lesley loved creating beautiful water colour paintings, gardening, playing bridge or any cards where she could win and spending time with her family at the cottage. Wherever you saw a stray dog, Lesley was not far behind. At one point, she had 3 dogs, 2 cats, a rabbit and several fish. She and John also enjoyed many trips together including four times to Australia and New Zealand, a trip across China, living in New Mexico, travelling to Italy and locating the family her father boarded with during the war, and visiting friends and family back in the UK.

Lesley was a devoted Quaker and her many Friends who supported and held her in the Light gave her great strength during her illness.

Lesley’s family would like to thank the many health care workers who provided her outstanding compassionate care during her entire illness, Dr Tait and the staff at the Katherine Wright Centre, Dr Harb and his medical team at the Dr Sheldon H Rubin Oncology Clinic, and the extra-mural nurses, especially Carol Fawcett, plus the nursing staff in the palliative care unit at the Sackville Memorial Hospital.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Erin Campbell and staff of Campbell’s Funeral Home, 89 Bridge Street, Sackville N.B. (506) 364-8188. By request of the family, there will be no visitation. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lesley’s honour to the New Brunswick Quaker Meeting, https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/religious-society-of-friends-quakers/, the Angel Fund for Women with Breast Cancer, https://www.friendsfoundation.ca/en/angelfund or to the Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation, https://support.smhf.ca.

On-line condolences & sharing of memories may be forwarded to the family through our website www.campbellsfuneralhome.com or by visiting the funeral home Facebook page.