CRESSWELL, Katherine Rita McKerral Boyd
“Nothing is so strong as gentleness.
Nothing is so gentle as real strength.” (Frances de Sales)
Katherine was born in Coniston on March 28th, 1934, daughter of Mary and Allan McKerral (predeceased). After graduating from Coniston Continuation School, she married a young and talented baseball player, Keith Boyd, from Yarmouth Nova Scotia, and became a homemaker and wonderful mother to their six children. She was left a widow at 36 years old when Keith died suddenly at age 40. She was a tower of strength, faith, and courage through those years.
The family home was the drop-in centre for her children and their many friends and cousins. There was always an extra place ready at the dinner table and Katherine was known as “Kool Kat” by all the teenage friends of the family. She was an avid sports fan – a very proud hockey mom and grandma! In 1989 with her children grown, she married Bob Cresswell (Big Bob) and was welcomed with open arms into the boisterous and fun-loving Cresswell clan. Together they travelled, spent time at the Birch Ridge Hunt Club on beautiful Manitoulin Island and danced every chance they had. She enjoyed all of his pampering and all of their special times together. Bob predeceased her in 2005.
She was a lifelong resident of Coniston and because she was the postmaster of our community for many years, she was known, respected, and loved by the entire town, and will be remembered for her kindness and graciousness to all. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Paul’s Catholic Church and a devoted member of the Catholic Women’s League for over 60 years.
She is survived by four children – Sandra of Coniston, Linda of Sudbury, Randy of Marietta, Georgia, and Karen of Saskatoon, and seven much-loved grandchildren – Keith, Kyle (Bailey Clarke), Michelle (Michael Mathys), Gregory, Brendan, Taylor, and Connor. She is predeceased by two cherished sons, Jim “JB” (Nancy) of St. Albert, Alberta, and Ron “Bubba” of Toronto.
Katherine was loved by many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends who treasured her gentle spirit, her zest for living, and her laugh that bubbled over with joy and fun! Her special friends Audrey Veno, Shirley Barbe, Marie Olivier, Kathleen Donnelly, Annette Marcon, and Clara Boyd will miss their dear lifelong companion but will treasure many memories of times spent together.
She leaves a legacy of faith, strength, and devotion to family, to her church and to her community. Hers was the very definition of a life well-lived.
She is predeceased by two sisters, three brothers, and their partners – Alma McGauley (Bill) of B.C., Aileen Olivier (Eugene) of Coniston, George (Lucille, Francoise) of Quebec, Patrick (Jean) of Alberta, and Robert (Maxine) of B.C.. She is survived by her sister Mary Olivier of Ottawa.
Katherine will be dearly missed by her sisters-in-law Clara, Mary, Liz, Madeline, and Bruni Boyd, Florence Audette, Lucy Gibeault, and Wanda, Nancy, Colette, Helen, and Connie Cresswell, as well as brothers-in-law Harold and David Boyd and Les Cresswell. She was predeceased by brothers-in-law Victor, Burton, Ron, Jackie, and Paul Boyd, and sisters-in-law Shirley Saulnier (Willard) and Marian Boyd, as well as brothers-in-law Wallace, Jack, Don, and Ken Cresswell and sisters-in-law Doris Cruikshank (Ross), Betty Grenon (Chuck), and Diane Leclair (Reg).
Our family would like to thank the staff on the 2nd floor of Extendicare Falconbridge for their many kindnesses to Katherine over the last four years, as well as the Emergency and 6th floor staff at HSN whose compassion and care helped on the final part of her life’s journey.
Donations would be appreciated to St. Paul the Apostle Memorial Fund.
Resting at the
Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home
233 Larch Street, Sudbury
(Friends may call 2-5; 7-9pm Friday with parish prayers 3pm Friday).
Funeral Mass in
St. Paul the Apostle Church
25 Edward Street, Coniston
Saturday, March 30th, 2019 at 11am.
Cremation with interment in the family plot at St. John’s Cemetery, Garson.
For donations and messages of condolence, www.lougheed.org www.lougheed.org.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Katherine Cresswell McKerral Sunday March 24th 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Sudbury, Province: Ontario