STACK, MARIANNA
The death of Marianna Lorraine Stack, ONB, of Saint John occurred at the Saint John Regional Hospital on Monday, April 6, 2015. Born in Saint John on May 14, 1941, Marianna was the only child of the late Francis Parnell and Mary Alberta (Case) Stack.
A graduate of Saint John High School, Marianna obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching, a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of New Brunswick. She taught at elementary schools in School District 8 for over 35 years. She was a supervisor of teachers for the former School District 20 and for the last ten years of her career was the vice-principal of M. Gerald Teed School in Saint John, retiring in 1997.
Marianna was the co-founder of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John, an organization which helps to improve the lives of marginalized and criminalized women in New Brunswick. She served in many capacities with this organization including as its President. She was also involved with the Atlantic Region of Elizabeth Fry Societies and served on the Board of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies. Marianna frequently visited and assisted women at the Saint John Regional Correction Centre, the Madawaska Regional Correction Centre and the Nova Institution for Women in Truro, Nova Scotia.
For her passion for equality and justice and for her devotion and dedication to the marginalized and criminalized women of New Brunswick and beyond, Marianna was a recipient of the Order of New Brunswick in 2008 and of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Marianna developed a number of programs through the Elizabeth Fry Society including the innovative Mother/Child Read-Aloud Program conducted at provincial and federal prisons. This program provides books for incarcerated mothers to read to their children on tape, after which the book, tape and a cassette player are sent to the child. She was a co-ordinator of the Christmas Gift Program, which allows incarcerated women to send gifts to their children at Christmas time. She was the founder of the Anti- Shoplifting Program conducted for Grade 5 students in Saint John area schools.
In 2010 Marianna, on behalf of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John, accepted the New Brunswick Human Rights Award which recognized the dedicated volunteers of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John for assisting accused women to get legal aid and advice, for acting as mentors and for helping to preserve the relationships of women inmates with their children.
She was an active member of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Rothesay. Marianna represented the Anglican Ecclesiastical Province of Canada on the Canadian Anglican Cursillo Secretariat and was a lay director of the Cursillo Community in the Diocese of Fredericton. She was an avid reader, enjoyed her garden, her pets and travelling with her cousin, Helen (Honey) Case.
Marianna is survived by her two loving daughters, Deirdre L. Wade, Q.C. (C. Paul W. Smith) of Rothesay and Janice M. Stockall (the Rev. Canon Kevin Stockall) of Fredericton, very special friends, Denise Durette and Roy Carson both of Saint John, her grandchildren, Elizabeth Stockall of Fredericton, Catherine Stockall of Sackville and Charles (Chip) Smith of Rothesay and several cousins.
Marianna will be resting at the Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, Saint John N.B, (646-2424) with visitation being held on Thursday, April 9th 2015 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will take place on Friday, April 10th 2015 at 11:00 a.m from St. Paul's Anglican Church, 4 Church Avenue, Rothesay N.B.
Memorial Donations in memory of Marianna may be placed towards the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John, N.B.
Online messages of condolence may be placed for the family at www.FundyFuneralHome.com