Blanch 'Eva' Shwery
Born In: North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed in: Sydney/North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed on: July 10th, 2011
It is with a broken heart that I announce the peacefully passing of my Mother andn best friend Blanche Eva Shwery at her residence on Kings Road, Sydney on Sunday, July 10, 2011. She is now reunited with Dad ‘Ted’ and my brother Leo.
Born in North Sydney, Eva was the daughter of the late Richard and Debia (Kasouf) Rahey.
She was a member of St. Joseph Church in North Sydney and recently St. Anthony Daniel Church in Sydney.
First and foremost, Mom valued her family and her Lebanese culture. Her strength, intelligence and generosity were only equaled by her warmth, kindness and passion for living. She was an extremely independent woman. She was a tower of strength to me. She become a widow at the young age of 42 and 10 years later her son passed away at the age of 18 years. From that day forward, Mom and I continued our life’s journey together and enjoyed travelling (especially to Las Vegas each year). Family and friends were visited, near and far, in Michigan, California, Egypt, Lebanon, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Mom was a nurturing and loving person. Following the death of her mother (Debia Rahey), she became the “unofficial” matriarch of her family. Her door was always open — her hospitality unequalled. For Mom, one of her great pleasures was cooking and serving a 4-5 course Lebanese meal followed by socializing with her guests. She was an excellent communicator who was comfortable interacting with people from all walks of life.
Mom followed in the footsteps of her family (three generations of entrepreneurs). She and Dad owned and managed “The People’s Dairy” (your present day convenience store) in the business section of North Sydney. After my Dad’s death, she worked for several years with her brother Raymond in his General Store in Sydney Mines. Her love for cooking lead her to setting up a home-based business (Eva’s Lebanese Kitchen). She made and sold Lebanese food and her customers were from various parts of Cape Breton, mainland Nova Scotia and also Newfoundland. She was a proud entrepreneur who worked hard to provide a quality product that people never forgot.
In recent years, I would tease Mom saying that she could have been another “Peninsular Farm” if she had patented her yogurt made from scratch. Her response was “I just wasn’t meant to be rich” and then she would laugh. Mom was especially proud that she was asked by the town of North Sydney to cater (1,200 people) for its centennial celebration.
Mom was also active in her community. She was a tireless and dedicated volunteer. For many years she was a member of St. Elizabeth Hospital (presently Northside General) Ladies Auxiliary. She volunteered in the hospital canteen and in coordinating fundraising events, such as, Lebanese suppers and dances. Her involvement in the local auxiliary lead to her being appointed Zone Chairman for Cape Breton. Mom was a people-person and in this position she enjoyed travelling to various parts of Nova Scotia and meeting people.
Eva is survived by her loving daughter, Marcellina ‘Marcie’ Shwery-Stanley, Sydney, and her two brothers, James R. (Jamal) Rahey, North Sydney, and Carl (Linda) Rahey, Toronto. She will be dearly missed by her many nieces and nephews and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband, Theodore ‘Ted’ and son, Leo Shwery and by her brothers, Raymond, Arthur ‘Iser’, Nicholas ‘Olie’ and sisters, Isabel and Marie.
Words cannot express the appreciation those who helped call and comfort my mother as illness overcame her in recent years. The fact that her dignity and many aspects of her daily routine were maintained until almost the very end will always be a comfort to me. I would like to thank the many people who helped Mom over the years, especially during her time of illness. Special appreciation is extended to her private caregivers ,“Her Girls”, as Mom called them. They were an extended family to me. Also thanks to City Homemakers and the VON.
Visitation for Eva will be held from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday in the W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant St., North Sydney. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Patrick O’Neill officiating. Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Palliative Care Society of Cape Breton. Following the funeral a reception and celebration of her life will be held at the North Star Inn on Forrest Street, North Sydney.
Online condolences may be sent to www.wjdooley.com.
A memorial mass for Eva will be held at a later date.
