Mary MacGillivary
Born In: New Waterford
Born: December 25th, 1927
Passed in: Sydney
Passed on: February 27th, 2015
Mary Catherine MacGillivary passed away peacefully on February 27th, 2015 in her 87th year.
Born in New Waterford on Christmas Day 1927, she was the daughter of the late John Joseph MacKinnon and Isobel ‘Campbell’ MacKinnon.
Upon graduation from Mount Carmel High School, Mary moved to Montreal and worked at Eaton’s, and decided this was not for her. She returned to New Waterford and enrolled in the Sydney City Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1951. Mary started her new career in the operating room at the New Waterford Consolidated Hospital and then moved to the operating room at the Sydney City Hospital, retiring in 1989 as the Head Nurse.
Mary was an avid sports enthusiast; she played badminton in her youth, bowled in the Sydney City Hospital mixed bowling league, and never missed a Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game. In her retirement, Mary volunteered at Fancy’s Gift Shop at Cape Breton Regional Hospital. She also took up quilting, gifting many relatives with beautiful quilts over the years.
Mary is survived by her daughter Jane (Dale) MacKeigan, Hammonds Plains; son David (Allison), Sydney; four wonderful grandchildren Alexander, Mariah, Abbie, Daniel; and her caregiver Agnes Sweeney. Mary is also survived by her sisters, Willena MacKinnon, Phoenix, Arizona, and Theresa (Pat) Lee, Studio City, California; sisters-in-law, Sadie (Francis) MacKinnon, Rochester, New Hampshire, and Kay (Roddie) MacKinnon, Dartmouth, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mary was predeceased by her husband Edward (2004); and brothers, Donald, Roderick, Francis, Fr. Alex; sister-in-law Peggy MacKinnon; brother-in-law William Genereux; and most recently (November, 2014) her sister Anne.
Visitation for Mary will be held 2 -4 p.m. and 7 -9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4th at T.W. Curry Parkview Chapel. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 5th at St. Theresa’s Church, with Fr. Jim Oliver officiating. Interment in Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks. Family flowers only.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the VON.
We, the family, would like to thank Agnes Sweeney for the caring, compassion, and companionship she gave to Mom these past few years. A special thank you to Mary’s niece and friend Dolores Horne for bringing Holy Communion to Mom every Sunday. We would also like to thank Pat Morrison, VON nurse, and the rest of the VON team for their compassionate care of our mother.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.twcurry.com.
