66, Whitney Pier
Mary Margaret (MacDonald) Gillis died peacefully at her home in Whitney Pier on Sept. 3, 2011.
Born on Sept. 22, 1944, Mary Margaret was the daughter of Hilda MacDonald and the late Hector MacDonald.
The eldest of six children, she graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1963 with a bachelor of education.
Mary Margaret is survived by her husband of 45 years, John Gillis; her daughters, Karen (Travis Payzant), Cathy (Neil MacDonald) and Patricia (Douglas Dufour); and grandsons, Greg and Jack MacDonald. She is also survived by her mother, Hilda; sister, Anne Louise Leith; brothers, Alex (Valerie), Francis (Karen), Peter (Trish) and Danny (Dany) MacDonald. She will be fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews, as well as her sisters-in-law, Margie Hartigan (Tommy) and Colleen Johnston (Danny); and brother-in-law, Harry Tobin.
Mary Margaret was predeceased by her son, John (John-John), father, Hector MacDonald, sisters-in-law, Laurie McCarron and Bonnie Tobin, and brother-in-law, Jimmy McCarron.
Mary Margaret devoted much of her life to caring for anyone she saw as friends and family. The life of her son, John-John stands as a testament to her strength and her courage. Her younger nieces, Katie, Jennifer, Isabelle and Molly spent many of their pre-school days reading and laughing with Mary Margaret. She will be remembered by all as a woman who put her family first, but had time for everyone. Mary Margaret’s warm spirit, generosity, humour and sense of adventure will be sadly missed by all who knew her, and especially by her sister-in-law, Colleen Johnston, with whom she travelled many miles and shared much laughter and her sister-in-law, Trish MacDonald with whom she shared a long history of memories and friendship.
Visitation for the late Mary Margaret Gillis will be held at the Pier Community Funeral Home, Whitney Pier, 1092 Victoria Rd. (entrance on Church Street) on Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral mass to celebrate Mary Margaret’s life will be held Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Church with Fr. Paul Murphy officiating. Reception will be held at the Pier Community Funeral Home. Interment will take place in Resurrection Cemetery, Sydney Forks.
Donations in Mary Margaret’s memory may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Montreal.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of Pier Community Funeral Home.
