Our mother was born in L’Ardoise, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia August 3, 1919, and died in Thunder Bay on December 30, 2015. (Mary) Gladys was the daughter of Simon and Agnes (Pate/Pottie) Morvan.
She met her husband Nick while he was stationed in Halifax during the Second World War. Moving to Nick’s home town of Fort William with baby Sheila in tow, they lived in the family home in the East End.
Ma put her children above all. A great cook, she spent years in the kitchen at the Slovak Legion. She made mean cabbage rolls, pyrohy, and blueberry pie (about which she sometimes….sometimes shared the full recipes. How does one interpret….you just put a “bit of this and a bit of that in there… I don’t measure”). She was a Life Member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Slovak Legion Branch 129, spending some time as President of the Auxiliary. After her retirement from cooking at the Legion, Ma volunteered at the Dew Drop Inn for a number of years.
She lived independently for almost 20 years after our father’s death until she was 90. Never learning to drive (for which we were eternally grateful) she walked or bussed everywhere until dementia began to take hold. She moved first to a retirement home and when her care requirements became too great, to Hogarth Riverview Manor.
Our mother was predeceased by our father and all of her siblings with the exception of the youngest of the family, Cecile (Dave Vaughn ). She is survived by children Sheila (Chilliwack), Peter (Barb)(Edmonton), Ron (Nance)(Lower Sackville), Hilary and Nicolette, 3 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
At our mother’s request, there will be no service. Cremation has taken place, and a private family interment will be held at a later date. Should friends/family wish to donate to a good cause, please consider the Dew Drop Inn, an animal rescue charity, or a favourite charity of your choosing, and maybe sing a few bars of ‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’ as well.
