HAMILTON ROAD, Pictou Co. / SYDNEY MINES - Hilda May MacKinnon, 91, Hamilton Road, Pictou County, formerly of Sydney Mines, passed away, Tuesday, June 19, 2007, at home with family members by her side. Born in North Sydney on August 16, 1915, she was a daughter of the late Harold H. and Elizabeth (McCarthy) Bennett. For 84 years she lived in her beloved Cape Breton after which time, she and eldest daughter, Mary Francis resided in Pictou County with her daughter and son-in-law, Norma and Joey. She was a devout member of St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, Sydney Mines, where she raised her family. Hilda always welcomed friends and neighbours into her home, where they could not leave without a cup of tea. She will be fondly remembered for her love of children, cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting and family. Surviving are her sons, Stephen (Henrietta), Upper Leitches Creek; John (Beverley), Alma; Michael, Sydney Mines; daughters, Mary Francis, Hamilton Road; Ann MacDonald, Pictou; Lois (Gordon) Cordy, Sydney Mines; Flora (James) Gillis, Atlanta, Georgia; Norma (Joey) MacDougall, Hamilton Road; Maureen (Kevin) O'Toole, Sydney Mines; sisters, Rose MacDonald, North Sydney; Celina Courage, Hamilton Road; grandchildren: Brian, Catherine, John Paul, Tanya, Kiale, Curtis, Cheryl, Jamie, Andrew, Alexander, Adrian, Ryan, Bennett, Katie, Kelly, Joseph, Kathleen; great-grandchildren: Brianna, Makayla, Brook-Lynn, Katelyn, Jayden, Briar, Drew, Keely; numerous nieces, nephews; goddaughter, Hilda Price; brother-in-law, Lewis (Jessie) MacKinnon; beloved nephew, John (Jean) MacKinnon; long-time family friend, Wally (Jean) Madore. She was predeceased by her husband, Norman Melvin MacKinnon; her first eight infant children; son, Adrian; brothers, Stephen, Austin; sister, Mary Ann. Visitation will be 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. today in R. Francis Funeral Home, Sydney Mines. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Friday in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, North Sydney with Father Tony MacDonald presiding. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Sydney. Donations to support seminarians would be gratefully accepted in her memory to the Antigonish Diocesan Society, P.O. Box 1330, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2N7. Online condolences may be sent to the family at rfrancis@ns.aliantzinc.ca "A mother's love is a blessing."