Sara Jean Smith
Passed on: September 23rd, 2008
Westmount Sara Jean Smith, 88, Westmount, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney. Born in Glace Bay, she was the daughter of the late Norman and Etta Ferguson. A graduate of Glace Bay School of Nursing, Sara had a long and rewarding career. She was very proud of her service during the Second World War as a nursing sister in the Royal Canadian Army in Canada and the United Kingdom. Her experiences during this time in many ways defined her dedication to nursing as she frequently recalled her time in Newfoundland and London remembering both the good times, as well as the tragedy of war. After the war, she continued her nursing career at the Sydney City and St. Rita hospitals, as well as Sydney Steel Corp. Her knowledge and dedication was very respected by patients and colleagues. Sara was predeceased by her husband, William Gordon in 2000 and her sister, Mamie Ripley in 2006. Sara is survived by her son, Norm; daughter-in-law, Diane; grandchildren, Matthew, Krista and Geoff; her much adored great-granddaughter, Gracey. She is also survived by her brother, Duncan Ferguson, Glace Bay; niece, Marion (Blair) Mitchell; nephews, Scott (Diana) and Eric (Patricia) Ferguson; grandnieces, Jane and Sarah Jane; grandnephews, Alexander, Adam, Eric, Curtis, David and Michael, all of Halifax; sisters-in-law, Katherine Evans, Coxheath and Vivian (Albert) Golding and nephew, Jeff, Williamsburg, Virginia. Sara was tremendously proud of her family and in turn was loved and respected. She was always very involved in her grandchildren’s lives and spoke often of their many accomplishments. Visitation for Sara will take place at Sydney Memorial Chapel, Friday, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A funeral service will be held at United Protestant Church of Sydney River, Saturday at 11 a.m. with Rev. Allan MacIntosh officiating. Interment in Forest Haven Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sara J. Smith Scholarship, Cape Breton University, Department of Nursing. Condolences may be sent to the family at sydneymemorialchapel@ns.sympatico.ca.
