Elizabeth 'Colie' Coleman-White
Lieu de naissance : Sydney
Date de naissance : 24 février 1917
Date de décès : 2 avril 2013
Elizabeth ‘Colie’ Coleman-White, 96, passed away on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, after a short illness.
Born in Sydney, N.S., on Feb. 24, 1917, she was the daughter of the late John and Agnes Coleman.
Colie, as she was known to family and friends, was a lifelong parishioner of Sacred Heart parish, Sydney. She was devoted to her faith, attentive to parish affairs throughout her adult life and supportive of the parish until her passing.
Colie grew up in Sydney’s north end, her parents having been attracted there from Newfoundland by the promise of work at a developing steel mill.
She attended school at Holy Angles Convent and, as a young woman, was engaged in various recreational, cultural and social activities throughout Sydney.
Blessed with good health and an agile mind until her passing, Colie lived independently at the family home of 60 years. Resolute and spirited, she managed her own affairs with pride until her passing. Colie kept current on public issues, welcomed countless visitors to her home and enjoyed discussion of current public affairs. Her mental dexterity was such that she remembered milestone dates and never missed an acknowledgment with a card or greeting.
Mom was a veritable repository of facts and events related to family and community history. She enjoyed fielding questions in this regard and, over the years, provided invaluable insight, particularly on matters related to genealogy. Communicative by nature, Mom maintained close contact throughout her latter years with an array of acquaintances and relatives throughout Canada and the United States. She was a prolific writer of personalized sentiments and heartfelt greetings. Scarcely a card was received from Colie without two or three paragraphs of individualized comment.
Mom was generous to a fault, as all in her immediate family will happily attest. She delighted in maintaining several charities and derived endless happiness and gratification from updates on the progress of each.
Colie and her husband of 51 years, Dannie, maintained a summer home in Boisdale. She delighted in family gatherings and welcoming visitors lakeside on the Bras d’Or and took a keen interest in community happenings along Route 223.
Over the years, she and husband, Dannie travelled widely throughout continental North American. Early in the 1990s, Colie and Dannie took a trip of a lifetime in travelling to Australia to visit wartime aircrews that Dad had the pleasure of flying with during the Second World War.
Colie is survived by her three sons, Dan (Judith), Adrian and John (Barb); brother, Charlie; eight grandchildren, Natalie, Bradley, Michael, Ashalee, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Katie and David and an equal number of great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by husband, Dannie, brothers, James, Jack, Peter and George, sisters, Catherine (CND), Mary and Rose and daughter-in-law, Louise.
Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will occur at a later date with public notice provided to this effect.
Donations in memory of Elizabeth White can be made to a charity of choice.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.sydneymemorialchapel.ca or email sydneymemorialchapel@ns.sympatico.ca.
