In loving memory of
Jean Hombek
May 31, 1943 – October 27, 2026
Jean Florence Hombek (née Chambers), 83, passed away after a long illness on October 27, 2026, in Toronto.
Born on May 31, 1943, to Glen and Marie (Bowman) Chambers, Jean grew up with post–World War II Ottawa as the backdrop for her childhood. She proudly entered the workforce at the Royal Bank of Canada and, finding she was good with numbers, used her attention to detail to become a skilled bookkeeper.
Jean called Ottawa and Toronto, and later Yarmouth and Antigonish, Nova Scotia, home while working and raising her two boys. She returned to Ontario in 1997 to start a new chapter of her life, settling in St. Catharines to help care for her mother. After going back to school to upgrade her skills, she was happy to work at Malivoire Winery until her retirement.
Jean found joy in going for walks, tending to her plants, sipping a good cup of tea, and sharing stories with friends. She inherited her mother’s talent for all things fabric. She was a skilled seamstress, knitter, crocheter, and embroiderer who expressed her artistic side by gifting loved ones with beautiful handmade creations. Her generosity lives on in those she taught to knit and through the hundreds of tiny beanies, booties, and blankets she lovingly crafted for hospital nurseries.
Jean will be deeply missed by her sons John (Karen) and Alexander (Rebecca), her grandchildren Rowan, Bronwen, and Charles, her sister Cathy Marleau (Guy), and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, her sister Sylvia Learn (Jim), and her brother Jim (Brenda).
The family would like to thank the many PSWs, nurses, hospital staff, and care coordinators who lovingly helped care for Jean in her final years, especially everyone at St. Clair O’Connor Community.
In accordance with her wishes, no public funeral service will be held. She will be laid to rest in Elmira in a private family ceremony. Donations may be made to one of the institutions that supported Jean through the long and complicated journey of her later years: the Canadian Cancer Society, Alzheimer Society, or Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care.
This obituary was published by the family with Cleo Cremation.