Evelyn Beatrice Walsh
Lieu de naissance : New Waterford, Nouvelle Ecosse, Canada
Lieu de décès : Bridgewater, Nouvelle Ecosse, Canada
Date de décès : 8 mars 2010
On March 8th, 2010, Evelyn Beatrice Walsh, RN, passed away peacefully at the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater after a short illness.
Evelyn ‘Evie’ Beatrice Walsh (Carpenter) was born in 1932, in New Waterford, N.S., to John and Bridget (Quinn) Carpenter.
She is survived by her husband Jack; children, Robert (Ellie), Shelagh (Peter Macnab), Bruce and Naomi; brothers, Bernie (Jean) and Jackie and many adoring nieces and nephews. A devoted grandmother, she is lovingly remembered by Sarah and Scott Sproul, Jessica Walsh, and Dylan Ryan.
She was preceded by her parents; sisters, Mamie MacKinnon and Carmel MacDonald and brothers, James and Blain Carpenter.
Evelyn led the fullest of lives. At 16 she fibbed about her age to get into nursing and graduated at 19 as a registered nurse from Hamilton School of Nursing in North Sydney, followed by Dalhousie, where she obtained a diploma in Public Health Nursing. A true believer in the collective rights of workers, she was involved in the creation of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union and helped negotiate a breakthrough wage settlement that brought a measure of justice to her profession.
Evelyn’s leadership was recognized with numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. She was past president of both the Lunenburg West Women’s Liberal Association and the Catholic Women’s League of Bridgewater. An advocate for the Head Start program for disadvantaged children, she volunteered for the March of Dimes, the Arthritis Society of Canada, the Red Cross, and many other organizations. She was active in curling clubs in Yarmouth, Bridgewater and Truro, the LaHave River Yacht Club, and she loved to play bridge with her dear women friends.
She also loved the flag, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the bi-cultural nature of Canada, and speaking her mind. She worked to ensure that at least some of her grandchildren were bilingual. Politicians from across the political spectrum sought out her advice and wise counsel.
But what sustained Evelyn was her 53 year marriage to Jack and the life that they created together. They began that life from a cabin in the Margaree Valley, where she hauled coal on a sled through the snow in winter, and used an axe to break through river ice for water. Four kids, four grandkids and twenty-three houses later, she and Jack continued to love, laugh, and celebrate a life of hard work, great food and friendships, wonderful parties, and a passionate intensity that made them both - and everyone they embraced - better people.
In keeping with her generous spirit, Evelyn has donated her body to Dalhousie University for scientific research.
A celebration of Evelyn’s life will take place at St Joseph’s Church 123 Pleasant St., Bridgewater, on Thursday, March 11, 2010, at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow at the Fairview Inn, 25 Queen St.
Condolences may be sent to 6 Evergreen Rd., Bridgewater, N.S., B4V 1J2, or shelagh_walsh@hotmail.com
Donations may be made to the South Shore Regional Hospital Foundation.
