Hazel Urie

Hazel Urie (17 September 1903 – 1 August 2014) was a Canadian supercentenarian whose age is currently pending by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was one of the oldest known people in Canada when she died.

Biography
Hazel Urie was born Hazel Shannon on 17 September 1903 in McKillop, Ontario, Canada to parents John and Elmira (née Blanchard) Shannon. She had two siblings, Almina and Hiram. After learning stenography and typing at business college, Hazel got a job working at the Ford Motor Company in Windsor, Ontario. It was there that she met James S. Urie III playing tennis.

Hazel got James a job in the Ford Motor Company as an office boy. He eventually became Vice-President of the customs office department. Hazel and James later married and had two sons, Jim and John. The family moved to Toronto, and then to Oakville, Ontario in 1958.

In 1966, Hazel and James went to see a skating show in Maple Leaf Gardens. During the show, James had a heart attack and passed away. He was 59 years old. After his death, Hazel started volunteering at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, mainly in the snack bar and the gift shop. She was still volunteering there aged 100, albeit only once a week. Hazel also volunteered at the IODE (Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire), the local Red Cross and Maple Grove United Church.

Hazel did her own gardening until she was in her mid-90s. In addition, Hazel was an expert at bridge, euchre, and dominoes, but she had to give them up when she was 107 due to poor eyesight. At 110, she liked to listen to country music and watch tennis by sitting as close to the TV as possible so that she could see the match. Her favourite tennis players were John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, and Venus and Serena Williams.

Hazel Urie passed away on 1 August 2014 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 110 years, 318 days. She was one of the top 5 oldest people in Canada and one of the oldest in Ontario when she died.