Mary Margaret 'Mammie' MacPherson
Born In: Glace Bay
Passed on: June 3rd, 2015
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our wonderful and beautiful Mother, Margaret 'Mammie' MacPherson (Byrne) of Bridgeport, age 87.
Mam passed on June 3, 2015, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney.
Born in Glace Bay, she was the daughter of the late Maggie Ellen (MacLean) and John Byrne.
“A mother she was! To all of us”, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She always put her children first throughout her entire life, making sure we were provided with the essentials of life with love.
She was unfortunate to be afflicted with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, but even with her diagnosis of, 12 years ago she was always 'Mammie', kind, cheerful, pleasant, to all who encountered her. Always wanting to dance and sing and at the age of 87; she could still shake it with her friends at the manor.
She loved to bake her 'Christmas Sultana Cakes', and would give them to each of us, along with other baked goodies.
Mam’s house was the meeting place for our Christmas’s and Sunday dinners. She loved to cook and clean, and gave what she had to us all. Everyone who encountered her loved her humour. She loved to tell a joke and have a good laugh.
Mam will be sadly missed by her loving family, sons, Billy (Janet), whom she lived with for several years prior to moving to Seaview Manor three years ago; Jimmy; Wayne; John (Carol); daughters, Sheila (Billy McNeil); Karen; sisters Josephine, Sara (Eddie) Lynk, Kay (Fred) King, Loie (John) Stefura, and brother Michael Byrne; grandchildren, Libby, Rebecca, Derrick, Debra, Darryl (Lorinda), Kevin, Kyla, Willie, Shaun, Mark, Chad, Chantal, Mark, and Brandon. Darryl was her first grandson who was the apple of her eye. Great-grandchildren, Ashley, Nicole, Jordan, Rhiley, Isaiah, Nyia, Cameron, Bentley and great-great-grandson Cohen. She will also be missed by a special lifetime friend and neighbor Rose Hill. Mam and Rose spent their entire lives living side by side and were always there for each other. They had a friendship that only a book could describe. Daughters in-law Nicole and Laura were also her best friends, who provided her with care and attention always. Sisters in-law Gertrude French, Isabel Yates and Joan Wells. Many nieces, nephews and friends.
Visitation for Mam will be held today, Friday, June 5, 2015, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 16 Reserve St., Glace Bay. A funeral mass will be celebrated 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2015 at St. Joseph’s Church, Reserve Mines, with Fr. Daniel Boudreau officiating. Cremation will follow.
Donations in her memory may be made to Alzheimer Society, Palliative care, or a charity of one’s choice.
We were very grateful to have a special angel come our way, a friend of Mam’s Tootsie (Barns) McGillivray. When Mam’s mind became restless and she wanted to go home, Tootsie would spend her days sitting and reminiscing about the olden days with her, settling her; Tootsie showed kindness, caring and most of all respect of Mam’s disease. Thank You Tootsie. Special Thank You to Nennie, Loie, Carol Anne and Craig, who visited regularly acknowledging her need for the constant family stimulation, she loved seeing them, many days she would call for 'Josephine', and Nennie was just a phone call away — “I thank you guys so much”.
Darlene her niece, spent nights with her at home, making sure she was safe and comfortable. Darlene continued to visited Mam weekly at the nursing home, that brought her joy, to see a familiar face.
Sheila, “what can I say”; you were there for Mam day and night seven days a week, and whenever I had something to attend to, you were there. Mam loved visiting Sheila’s and loved; Billy McNeil, "Billy I thank you for your kindness and understanding that you showed her, it meant a lot to her."
Jimmy, "what you did daily and sometimes twice a day visiting and walking Mam at the nursing home made her day."
A very special thank you to Seaveiw Manor; the greatest, biggest, thank you to all who worked and cared for Mam. Every one of you are special gifted people. You showed caring, compassion, and most of all love to our Mother. There are too many to name all of you, but each of you know who you are. To nursing, maintenance, housekeepers, laundry, kitchen, recreation, physiotherapy departments. Thank uou!
Thanks to Dr. Dias, Dr. Mark Ellerker, Dr. Asim, Dr. Ann Frances D’Intino.
Online condolences to the MacPherson family are available through www.vjmcgillivray.ca.
