Dundas, Ontario
It is with deep sadness we announce Lenore Castle (nee McCarty) passed away very peacefully with grace and with family by her side, March 21, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton. She was in her 92nd year. Lenore was born in 1933, and grew up as one of five sisters, living on the family farm on Sulphur Springs Road, Dundas. Her stories from those days are truly incredible, involving gunpowder, pitchforks, stolen trucks and bedpans.
After somehow surviving to adulthood, and upon graduating from Hamilton Teachers’ College, Lenore became an elementary school teacher with the Hamilton Wentworth School Board. Her career began at Copetown Public School—a genuine one-room schoolhouse—and after teaching at several elementary schools in and around Dundas, she spent the last 20+ years of her career at Yorkview Public School.
She was passionate about the importance of quality education and maintained that conviction throughout her teaching years and beyond.
Lenore was a popular and highly respected educator, known for being strict yet fair and committed to her students’ academic progress. She was also known for the luxurious fur coat she wore during winter recess yard duties, when it was common to see her adorned with numerous children clinging onto her like baby opossums.
Retirement saw Lenore busier than ever, with regular travel, an active social life, and abundant volunteer work. She prioritized her contribution to St. James Anglican Church, where she attended for most of her life and where she maintained a deep connection until her death. Lenore’s faith supported her through tragic losses and challenges, and she lived her life with unrelenting gratitude. Lenore will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, quick bold wit, and fierce love for her granddaughters, for whom she will always be ‘Pumma.’
Lenore is predeceased by her first husband, Ivan Bristol (1953); her husband of 58 years, David Castle (2016); her sister, Jacqueline (2015); and many treasured friends. She is survived by her daughter, Tonya; her two beloved granddaughters, Elizabeth and Charlotte; her sister, Audrey, and three generations of nieces and nephews.
As per Lenore’s wishes, cremation has already taken place, and a celebration of life will be held at St. James Anglican Church, Dundas, on June 19 at 1 p.m. A reception in the church parlour will follow the service. Interment will take place the following day, June 20, at 1 p.m. at Mount Zion Cemetery, Copetown. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local animal rescue or the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada.
Finally, the family thanks the staff and volunteers on Wentworth Lodge’s Lilac Lane for the care and compassion they showed Lenore until the end of her life.