On Sunday, April 5th 2015, Easter morning, with her family by her side, Mary Jane Woods (nee: Gallant) passed from this life to join Our Lord in heaven.
Born June 13, 1922 in Alberton, PEI, Mary grew up a proud Islander. As war was beginning to break out across Europe, Mary moved to Halifax where she met Canadian Naval Sailor Norman Woods of Paipoonge Twp.
They married on May 2, 1943 and, after the war ended, Norman returned to join her in Halifax where they had 2 children. Over the next few years, the young family returned to PEI and grew, adding 2 more children to their brood.
In 1952, a funeral brought the happy clan back to Fort William where they remained and began to build a new life in the Lakehead. Completing their family with another 2 children, Mary settled in to her full-time job as caregiver and homemaker. Children were the focus of her life and although many would have considered six young ones of her own challenging, Mary had plenty of love to go around.
She opened her home and heart becoming a foster mother to numerous children on both short and long-term basis. In 1982, Norman left this world and Mary. She was newly independent and, over time, had to learn the skills to be truly liberated which included obtaining her driver’s license at the age of 62.
In her later years, Mary enjoyed attending bingo, going to the casino and sharing stories of her life’s adventures. She was struck by Alzheimer’s at the age of 80 and led a full life until fairly recently. Mary was a resident of Riverview-Hogarth, moving in nine years ago to the Cedar wing and of late to the Birch wing, where she was well-known for her Maritime slang and her love of potatoes – a faithful PEI supporter until the end. Although Mary appeared to be a physically fragile and spiritual woman, if given the right occasion, she could curse a blue-streak that could make even a brazen sailor blush!
Predeceased by her brothers Frank and Charles Gallant, and sister Gladys (Wilfred Richards), Mary is survived by her brother Jim Gallant and sisters Ethel McCarthy (of Dartmouth, NS) and Viola Nugent (of Eastern Passage, NS). She is also survived by her children Jimmy, Norma Otway, Patsy (Willy Wenzel), Gordon (Roxanne), Rose (Bruce Searaes) and Joann (Alan Young) and numerous grand through great-great-great grandchildren, as well as nieces, cousins and in-laws.
In accordance with Mary's wishes, there will be a celebration of life and light refreshments on Thursday, April 9th at the Oliver Road Community Centre from 7 - 8:30pm. A mass will be said in her honour at a later date. Everyone is welcome to her Interment which will occur on her birthday Saturday, June 13th 2015, at Sunset Memorial Gardens at 2pm.
The family would like to thank Father James Panikulam of St Agnes Parish who rushed from Good Friday services to perform the Anointing of the Sick.
We also express our deepest gratitude to the frontline staff at Birch and Cedar wings, who are greatly overworked and sadly sometimes under-appreciated.
These amazing individuals gave Mary comfort and fellowship by providing the best possible care they could and represented SJCG’s motto of Dignity and Respect when others did not.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In lieu of cards or flowers, the family would appreciate those wishing to make donations direct them to The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Mary Woods will be remembered in the Blake Funeral Chapel Memorial Grove. Annual dedication service Sunday, June 12, 2016.
