Alice Thorne
Born In: Sydney Mines
Born: December 21st, 1928
Passed in: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Passed on: November 6th, 2015
It is with great sadness that we, the family of Alice Thorne, announce the passing of our dear mother on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Park Place Retirement Home, Ottawa, Ont., surrounded by her children.
Born in Sydney Mines, Dec. 21, 1928, Alice was the daughter of the late Charles Poliski and Rose (Belchitis), of Sydney Mines, and is the last remaining member of her birth family.
Alice graduated from Hamilton Memorial Hospital, North Sydney in 1949 and worked there for two years before joining the surgical staff at St. Rita Hospital, Sydney, where she worked in the operating room for 30 years. She was extremely passionate about her profession, loved by her fellow nurses and well-respected by the doctors with whom she worked, providing competent and loving service to all those under her care. Alice was also a member of the Hamilton Memorial Nurses Alumnae and the Nova Scotia Retired Nurses Association. Alice will always be remembered as a very kind, gentle and conscientious person who would quickly and willingly provide assistance to her neighbours and friends. Honest, compassionate, loyal and generous, she had a strong Catholic faith and an easy going manner, always ready to welcome those who came into her loving home on 445 Kings Road, Sydney. Her deep abiding faith in God was the cornerstone of her life, something she shared with her family. She was a proud parishioner of St. Anthony Daniel Church, Sydney, and served as an active and long standing member of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL). She was honoured as the recipient of a 40 year CWL service pin during a special celebration in the St. Anthony Daniel parish hall.
Alice was predeceased by her husband, David, the love of her life, with whom she shared a warm and loving marriage for 29 years; her parents, Charles and Rose (Belchitis) Poliski, of Sydney Mines; four sisters, Marcella, Isabel (Glinski), Margaret (Flemming), and Agnes (Brooks); three half-sisters, Theresa (Hickey), Mary (Evanitzki) and Anne (Desjarlais); and four half-brothers, Joseph, John, Anthony and Charles.
She is survived by and will be deeply missed by her four daughters, Anne (Rob), Los Angeles, CA, Mary, Ottawa, Ont., Patricia, Terrace, B.C. and Marie, Guelph, Ont.; son, George (Susan), Ottawa, Ont.; and five grandchildren, Scotty, Allie, David, Thomas and Sam. Alice also has many nieces and nephews, former co-workers and family friends that she held near and dear to her heart. Her family and the special times spent with them was, as she put it, “her greatest joy”.
Visitation will take place at Sydney Memorial Chapel on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral mass will be held at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church, Cabot Street, Sydney, on Thursday 2 p.m., with Rev. Frank Abbass officiating, followed by a reception at the church. Interment to take place at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Alice’s memory may be made to the Arthritis Society of Canada, at www.sydneymemorialchapel.ca.
Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.sydneymemorialchapel.ca or emailed to sydneymemorialchapel@ns.sympatico.ca.
