Toni Bacon October 30, 1935 – January 10, 2025

Catherine Upton Field Bacon, known by all as ”Toni”, died peacefully on a sunny Friday morning, with family at her side. In her own words: ”Life: I have spent much of it wandering in search of sanity, sobriety, serenity, simplicity and service. I have been sustained by trees, music, birds and love from my family and caring friends. Ever grateful.”
Toni was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the only child of Sydney Stone Field and Elizabeth Favorite. They lived in the George W. Cable House in NOLA until returning to her mother’s city of Philadelphia in 1938. Her parents divorced when she was still a child, and Toni spent her young and somewhat tumultuous life between parents and grandparents in Manhattan, Philadelphia and Venice, Florida, and more happily at Eaglecrag Lake in the Adirondack Mountains.
Toni attended the Lennox School for Girls in NYC and graduated with a B.A. from Wellesley College. Toni had several very memorable years working in summer stock theatre in Milwaukee and Philadelphia before taking a job as the Activities Director for international students at University of Pennsylvania. This is where she met her future husband, Robert (Bob) Bacon from Bedfordshire, England, who was working on his MA in Physics.
Bob and Toni married in June 1961; first daughter Julia Catherine was born in 1962. Shortly afterwards, they moved to Vancouver, BC to start their family life together. Elizabeth (Lisa) Field was born in 1964, and Alice Martine in 1966. In Vancouver Bob & Toni became involved in the Anti-Vietnam movement, and became housing coordinators for war objectors. It was during this time that Toni cemented a dedication to activism, pacifism and environmental causes, and how she met many important friends, including her lifelong ‘bestie’ Janet Essley.
The family left Vancouver in 1972 for Vancouver Island, to 20 acres in Errington where Toni stayed busy and fulfilled with the garden, the animals (she loved the goats and the geese the most) and the rural community vibe. Bob and Toni were both talented in music, and loved playing at home and performing at the Errington Hall. Toni was very active in various political causes while raising three daughters and studying music. Toni and Julia became proud Canadian citizens in 1975.
After the heartbreaking dissolution of her marriage, Toni spent some time on Cortes Island before settling in Victoria. There she focused on music as a healing modality, and as a result worked in a variety of capacities, in Long Term Care and Hospice as a Music Therapist, then eventually she started teaching piano full time, while also studying with George Essihos. Toni lived at Marrion Village in Oak Bay from 55 years until she required more care shortly after her 80th birthday.
She instilled in her daughters the importance of ‘beauty comes from the inside”, (which was obvious from her quirky style of crocs and misbuttoned sweaters) a love of music, from Debussy to Dylan, good writing and the importance of service to others. Toni lived most of her courageous life with a brilliant and creative mind, which was sadly slowly dulled by dementia. Yet almost to the very end she could summon a smile for those around her.
She leaves to mourn, love and cherish her memory: her three daughters Julia Piper (Jeff), Lisa Bacon (Tim Slater), Alice Bacon (John Carswell) and her grandchildren Jesse Leblanc (Alison), Katie Piper (Chase), Haley Piper, Olivia Leblanc (Nigel) and William Carswell (Madison), and her forever friend Janet (Paul), as well as many friends, students and connections made over the years. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the incredible staff at Rest Haven Lodge in Sidney for their amazing care and love for Mum/Toni/Nana, as she called herself.
Cremation services provided by Simply Cremation. Toni’s ashes will be scattered in the Pacific Ocean, Englishman River and in the Adirondack woods. A Celebration of Life will be held at a date and location still to be determined. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Doctors Without Frontiers (Medecins sans Frontieres), Rest Haven Lodge or the Royal Conservatory of Music.
”Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still… I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere just round the corner. All is well.” Henry Scott Holland.
“Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves. Let me forget about today until tomorrow.” Bob Dylan