Tributes poured in on Twitter and elsewhere to Downey’s kindness, her mentoring of young comedians and her distinctive laugh, which had been silenced the last few years by her disease. Comedian Debra DiGiovanni called her “the mama of the comedy scene” in a tribute for NOW Magazine.
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“Jo-Anna Downey’s laugh could lift you up when you heard it. It was a lifeline when you were on stage. Even if nobody else was laughing,” tweeted actor and comedian Ryan Belleville.
“Jo-Anna Downey inspired, mentored, loved and saved so many funny people. She was a one of a kind spirit, funny and caring,” tweeted actor and comedian Colin Mochrie.
A Toronto fundraiser for the Jo-Anna Downey Fund, which raised money to support Downey in her illness, went ahead on Friday night at Eton House Tavern. Comedians were also paying tribute to her that night in Los Angeles and Calgary, according to tweets from comedians Debra DiGiovanni and K Trevor Wilson, while Montreal comedians were asked to donate in her memory to the ALS Society of Quebec.
A special memorial show is planned Wednesday at Spirits Bar and Grill, where Downey ran a well-regarded open mic night for more than 16 years. She also ran Standing on the Danforth at the Eton.
In a 2012 article in the Toronto Star, comedians described what made the Spirits comedy night so special and said its success was all due to Downey.
“She’s so devoted,” said Simon Rakoff. “You never know what you’re going to get, but you know it’s still going to be good overall.”
“Comics can come here and try new stuff,” said Cal Post, Downey’s boyfriend. “It’s an experimental room . . . and (we) get that freedom.”
Downey won the Canadian Comedy Awards’ Phil Hartman Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to the Canadian comedy community in 2012.
There will be visitation for Downey on Friday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Morley Bedford Funeral Services, 159 Eglinton Ave. W. in Toronto, with a funeral mass Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church, 794 Kingston Rd.
Debra
Yeo is a deputy editor and a contributor to the Star’s Culture
section. She is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @realityeo.
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