Sarah Catherine (Sadie) Gillis
Born In: Benacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada
Born: January 25th, 1921
Passed in: Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed on: February 18th, 2010
Sarah Catherine ‘Sadie’ Gillis, 89, of Liverpool, N.S., formerly of Sydney Mines passed away peacefully in Queen’s General hospital surrounded by the love of family and the knowledge of a life well lived.
Sadie was the daughter of the late Neil R. and Sarah Catherine MacNeil. Blessed with a huge heart and a great capacity to love, Sadie followed her desire to care for others by becoming a nurse, graduating from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in 1944 with Provincial academic honours. Everyone benefitted from Sadie’s nurturing medical attention – patients, family, friends, relatives of friends, neighbours, neighbourhood children and even the occasional pet.
She will be remembered for her compassionate, caring, and generous spirit, her love of skating, intellectual puzzles of all kinds, her wicked sense of humour and her never ending ability to find the good in everything.
Although failing health necessitated a move from her beloved Cape Breton in 2007 to be closer to family, Sadie built a whole new network of friends and fans in Queen’s Manor.
She was immensely proud of her Scottish heritage (MacNeil of Barra) and her first language Gaelic. She was still quoting Gaelic poetry on her birthday (Robbie Burns day) this year.
Sadie was predeceased by her husband, Lawrence and son, Michael; brothers, Roddie, Rannie, Neil, James and sister, Christina.
She is survived by her sons, Gerard, Yellowknife, Neil, Toronto, Christopher (Becky), Brampton; daughters, Cathy MacDonald, Bedford, Sharon (Gerry) Mason, Mill Village; sister, Ann Higgins, Fredericton; grandchildren, Andrew, Peter, Geoffrey, Sarah, Nigel, Christopher, Vanessa, Sarah; dear and special friends, Mary and Clifford Hall.
Visiting will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 from 2–5 p.m. in Francis Funeral Home, Main Street, Sydney Mines. Funeral mass Monday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Church, Sydney Mines, Fr. J.J. MacDonald presiding.
Special thanks to everyone at Queen’s Manor, Liverpool, the nursing staff at Queen’s General, especially Janet Himmelman; and Dr. Garry Morash.
Family flowers only. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ronald C. MacDonald MBA Scholarship at St. Mary’s University, www.smu.ca/administration/development/gift.html; 1.888.SMU.GIVE; the Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke, other charities of your choice; or just be true to Sadie’s spirit and spread genuine kindness at every opportunity, that was her essence.
