19-Apr-1932 - 20-Jan-2024
Jeannine died on January 20, 2024 at the age of 91 in Newmarket, ON after a brief illness. She was born in April 1932, the youngest of six children of the late Wilfrid Lucas and Fernande Raynault, and grew up in Montreal.
Jeannine was always ahead of her time for a woman of her generation. Fiercely independent long before women were expected to be so, she lived life on her own terms. Born French-Canadian, she taught herself to speak English at the age of 14. After the death of her father, she left home at the age of 26 to travel across Italy and France by herself, an adventure that was very uncommon for a young woman at that time. She returned to live in her own apartment, and embarked upon a career in administration at such companies as Imperial Tobacco, Shiseido and Bechtel. It was at Bechtel in Montreal where she met the late Peter Saegert, a young engineer who was to become the love of her life. They were married in 1968 and had three children: Kimberly (Ken Darlington), Alexander (Becky) and Maxwell (Christina). After a successful stint as a real estate agent in Montreal, Jeannine and the family settled in Toronto in 1982 and Jeannine launched herself into a new career as an entrepreneur and restaurateur, running JB’s Bistro, a restaurant in Forest Hill Village, for many years. She also co-founded Forest Hill Real Estate, an enormously successful Toronto-based realty company. In later years she worked for more than a decade at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) in downtown Toronto.
Jeannine is survived by her children, their spouses and her grandchildren Olivia and Charles Darlington; Jack Saegert; and Thomas, Ella and Michael Saegert. She will also be lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews on the Lucas side as well as her brothers-in-law and their extended families. Jeannine set lofty expectations of herself and those around her. She was chic – well-dressed and beautifully coiffed – and delighted in the fact that she looked years younger than her age. Despite her high standards, she also loved to laugh and enjoyed silly humour and the occasional bawdy joke, as well as Broadway musicals. She treasured times with family and her adored pets, especially her poodles, and relished opportunities to travel and meet interesting people. She was also an accomplished pianist and had a beautiful singing voice.
A memorial service will be held at the Taylor Funeral Home, 524 Davis Drive in Newmarket on February 17, 2024 at 2:00 pm. A reception will follow at the Crow’s Nest Pub, 115 Prospect Street. Jeannine loved beautiful flower arrangements, but if preferred, please consider making a donation to the Margaret Bahen Hospice in Newmarket.