Florence Peace Kristjanson

Florence Peace (Harbron) Kristjanson, aged 95, passed away peacefully on Jan 23, 2026. Born in Toronto on Jan 3, 1931 to Tom and Sara Lillian Peace Harbron, as a teen she began her lifelong commitment to health care and community as Programme Director for the Blue Mountain and Merrywood Easter Seals camps working with children with disabilities, organizing all activities of 48 children and a dozen councillors. In 1953 Florence graduated from the University of Toronto in Physical and Occupational Therapy. She was a senior physiotherapist at Sunnybrook and then Newmarket Hospitals, as well as working at Runnymede Hospital where she helped plan a new physiotherapy department before becoming Director of Physical Medicine at Peel Memorial Hospital in Brampton in 1968. Her commitment to physiotherapy and community included conducting training programs for Red Cross Homemakers, initiating a private physio access program for Home Care, lecturing at Sheridan College and activity with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Over her career Florence was a strong advocate for physios to become direct access providers, which they now are.

Florence obtained her degree in hospital administration in 1981 and became a Certified Health Executive in 1994. Florence was a good listener, effective communicator and problem solver. In the 1980s in addition to her physio role she added Director, Community Relations for PMH, representing the hospital to the community and in turn helping the hospital develop policies and programs to help respond to rapid change in Peel. By 1986, Florence had become one of the first hospital-based patient ombudsmen in Ontario, pioneering at PMH what is now known as the “patient relations process”, now mandatory at all Ontario hospitals. In this role she was widely respected at PMH and in the community as an impartial facilitator with a vast knowledge of hospital operations who helped patients and their families navigate concerns.

“If something must be done, give it to a busy person.” As part of hospital administration and while ombudsman, Florence’s ability to conceptualize, make hard tasks easy, effectively organize people and projects, strategize and bring people together helped keep PMH’s forward momentum during rapid hospital modernization as methods and standards in health care evolved. This included work on diverse internal and external hospital projects and programs including implementation of total quality management, bio-ethics, quality assurance and communications such as helping found the News-A-Peel newsletter and producing award-winning budget reports. Meanwhile Florence continued to be PMH’s community liaison, planning tours and special events, working with the Multicultural Advisory Committee, Peel Lung Association and Peel TransHelp as well as joining civic and community representatives on the PMH Community Awareness Task Force. She continued to mentor staff, had sliding doors installed at the front entrance and as part of the hospital expansion committee proposed the “Buy-A-Brick” campaign, which raised $90,000.  Florence retired in 1996, a hard act to follow.

At Sunnybrook Florence met Skuli Otto Kristjanson of Geraldton. They married in 1955 and were together for 65 years until Skuli passed in 2020.

Florence was a loving mother to her three boys, Erik, Jamie and Tom and always had time for them. She was a passionate photographer of nature, a fan of classical music, ballet and science. Skuli and Florence enjoyed hunting minerals and studying rock formations, bird watching, and football; she enjoyed swimming, cross-country skiing, drawing and playing piano. She treasured time with her grandkids, wider family and close friends.

Florence is sadly missed by her children, Erik (Edna), Jamie (Elizabeth) and Tom (Tena), grandchildren, Kara (Trevor), Leslie (Matthew), Heather (Steven), Joanna, Tyler (Randy) and Kassy (Sean), and great-grandchildren Rachael, Emily, Lily, Isla, Owen, Erin, Holly, Angel and Clark. She was predeceased by her siblings John Harbron, Janet Braide and Lillian Dyson-Babcock. Dear aunt to Patrick, Chris and Ann Harbron, Robbie, Mary Jane and Martha Braide, Nancy Dyson, Susan Barnes and Sara-Beth Spearey. Fondly remembered by many friends including Inga Addis, Sue Heeley, Brianne Daley, Valerie Hazeldon and Sandy Parolin.

Many thanks to the dedicated staff of Bradford Valley Community Care.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will take place at a future date.

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