August 24, 1926 - April 29, 2021
At the age of 94, Mary, a resident of The Views in Comox, passed peacefully surrounded by her children. Mary was born in Lincoln County, Ontario, growing up on her parents' farm with her 3 brothers, and 4 sisters.
As a young woman, she had aspirations of travelling and becoming a journalist. First opting for a brief stint in the army, Mary then travelled to the BC coast and took a job as a housekeeper at the Halliday Homestead in Kingcome Inlet.
There she met her future husband, Alan, and spent the next 40 years, devoting her life to the raising of their 8 children. As her children grew older, her adventurous spirit took her travelling, holidaying in Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, USA and visiting her siblings in Ontario.
Once all their children left home, Mary and Alan moved out of Kingcome to live in Campbell River.
Becoming a widow in 2006, she spent many hours at Altrusa House, a seniors' social club, and joined an exercise club. In 2014, she became a resident of The Views, spending 6 years lovingly cared for by the amazing staff. She was known for her famous quotes and ditties which she recited regularly and Mary was always a willing participant in all the games, sing-a-longs, and other activities at the Views.
She was a gracious woman with quiet inner strength and a great work ethic. She had her own personal philosophy on life: "Take one day at a time, hope for the best, do the best you can, and take things as they come."
Mary was artistic and enjoyed nature, daily walks, cats, and flowers. She loved travel programs from around the world, doing crossword puzzles, reading books, and listening to country and western music, not to mention Neil Diamond, and Engelbert Humperdinck.
Her children and grandchildren were her joy in life, and she loved to welcome family gatherings into the warmth of her home.
Mary is predeceased by Alan, her husband of 57 years, her daughter Ann Louise, her grandson Adrian, as well as 3 brothers and 4 sisters.
She is survived by her children Randy, Judy, Frankee, Michael, Mary, Jennifer and Lisa; her grandchildren Lucia, Amber, Yaro, Shane, Angus, Richard, Julian and Arlen; as well as nine great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Mary will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Special thanks to the staff and caregivers at The Views for taking such great care of her in her final years. There will be a celebration of Mary's life at a future date.