Jane Elizabeth Bigelow (née Dillon; June 9, 1928 – June 1, 2021) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. She was the first female

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, serving from 1972 to 1978. Born Jane Elizabeth Dillon, the daughter of Edward and Margaret Dillon, she grew up in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

and was educated at St. Clement's School and at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, where she completed a degree in physical education. In 1954, she married Charlie Bigelow. The couple lived in Hamilton, Edmonton, Ottawa, New York and Copenhagen before settling in London in 1965. She served on the London Board of Control in the 1960s. Bigelow became mayor, in 1972, after

James Frederick Gosnell James Fredrick Gosnell (c. 1918–1986) commonly called "Fred" was a mayor of London, Ontario, Canada from January 1, 1972 to March 6, 1972. His son Tom Gosnell was the mayor of London from 1986 to 1994 and was later the deputy mayor and budget chi ...

resigned as mayor for health reasons. She died of complications of a fall on June 1, 2021.

References

Mayors of London, Ontario Women mayors of places in Ontario University of Toronto alumni 1928 births 2021 deaths {{Ontario-mayor-stub