Mary (Bray) McInnis
Born In: Port Morien
Born: April 16th, 1934
Passed in: Dartmouth
Passed on: May 27th, 2013
Born in Port Morien, Cape Breton, Mary was the eldest daughter of the late Francis and Agnes (Kanary) Bray. She attended St. Anne’s High School in Glace Bay, where she met her future husband, Joseph McInnis.
Mary was a graduate of the Nova Scotia Normal School in Truro. She taught for two and a half years at Gowrie School in Port Morien. She then joined Joe who was serving with NATO forces in then-occupied West Germany. To comply with German regulations they were married by the local mayor in a civic ceremony. Mary and Joe then repeated their marriage vows in a Catholic Mass at the base RC Chapel in Baden-Soelingen. Mary and Joe were married 58 years and had nine children. Following her marriage Mary continued her studies and teaching career. She studied at Xavier Jr. College in Sydney, N.S., University of Manitoba, St. Mary’s and Mount St. Vincent universities in Halifax, earning her BA, MEd (Administration) and MA in Educational Psychology. Mary also attended the N.S. Teachers Summer School Program and qualified as a reading specialist. In addition to Port Morien, Mary taught in Alberta, Manitoba and Dartmouth from where she retired. Mary was a gifted artists who loved to paint, quilt and sew. She enjoyed making baby quilts for her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her latest hobbies were making teddies for “Teddies for Tragedies” program and making rosaries for the Seafarers’ Mission in Halifax. Mary had a deep devotion to Our Blessed Lady and visited the major Marian Shrines in Lourdes, Fatima, Guadeloupe and Medjugorje. Mary was a long time parishioner of St. Thomas More parish in Dartmouth, where she served as catechist, Eucharistic Minister and lay reader. She loved spending summers at the Cape Breton cottage and travelling the world with husband, Joe.
Along with her parents, Mary was predeceased by son, Michael and sister, Monica, both in infancy and brothers, Gerald, Arthur, George and William.
Besides her loving husband, Joe, Mary is survived by brothers, Thomas, Patrick and Francis and sister, Carmel (Smyth); children, Mary, Daniel, Anne, Andrew, Theresa, Vivian, Gerard and Eileen; 29 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Dartmouth Funeral Home, today (Wednesday) from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated Thursday, May 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas More Church. Burial will follow Friday, May 31 at 3 p.m. at St. Joachim’s Church in Boularderie, Cape Breton.
Heartfelt gratitude to all those who offered support and prayers, and to the staff of the VG Palliative Care Unit.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joachim’s Church or Chalice.
Online condolences by visiting www.dartmouthfuneralhome.ca.
