Mary Howard
Mary Howard (nee Macleod), of Bracebridge, ON, passed away suddenly and peacefully on July 18, 2012 in her 86th year. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ron, in 1995 and her daughter Joan Riley of Toronto. Her sister Margaret Burgess and her brothers: John, Alexander, Ira, Oliver, and Douglas also predeceased her. Mary was born in Hartsville, P.E.I., the sixth child of Colonel Allan and Florence (Flora) MacLeod. She attended Mount Allison College in Sackville, N.B., and joined the Salvation Army. In 1960, she graduated in nursing at Grace Hospital and then worked in Labrador. In the late ‘60s she moved to Toronto and worked at North York General Hospital where she was eventually a head nurse. It was in Toronto that she met Ron Howard. Ron and Mary married in 1970 and spent 25 happy years together. Mary and Ron later moved to Bracebridge where Mary finished her career at the Bracebridge General Hospital. Mary was a very outgoing, happy, and fun-loving person. She was an active member of the Bracebridge community and a dedicated volunteer at the Interval House in Bracebridge for many years. She returned to the island many times over the years to visit family and friends. She leaves behind many friends in Bracebridge, in Toronto, and on P.E.I. She was greatly loved by all her siblings, her two granddaughters, Kim and Michelle, as well as her many nieces and nephews and their children. With her she took apiece of our hearts, but left us with wonderful memories. As long as we live, she too shall live, for to live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die. On July 23, 2012 a memorial service conducted by Rev. James Thomson was held at Reynolds Funeral Home in Bracebridge.
