Lois Reta MacKay Thurgood
Lois passed away
at 97 in Camp Hill Veterans Hospital, Halifax, after a well-lived and
accomplished life. Born into a farm family in Albany, PEI, she took
part in the work, joys, and challenges of rural life, which included,
at the age of 12, spending a winter transporting logs by horse team. A
top student at the nearby one-room schoolhouse, Lois became a teacher
after studying at Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown. During WWII,
she worked inspecting weapons in a Sorel, QC munitions plant before
becoming a corporal and drill instructor in the RCAF, « defending
Saskatchewan from invasion, » as she put it. After the war, she
earned a BA at Acadia U, then was the first woman to earn an MA in
English at Dalhousie U. While waitressing at Keltic Lodge in Cape
Breton for a summer, she met Charlie Thurgood, whom she married in
1949. Lois raised four children, while teaching school and writing for
magazines, while in the Wallace, NS region and in Windsor, ON, where
she lived from 1959 until moving to Halifax in 2016. In retirement,
Lois devoted herself to volunteer work, rising to the presidency of
Save The Children Canada, while remaining active in Emmanuel United
Church.
Lois was a remarkably upbeat and positive person, bringing
enthusiasm, fun, and passion to all activities, whether raising
children, being a grandmother, volunteering in church and community,
teaching, directing plays, leading CGIT, watching hockey, birding,
writing, travelling, skating, playing piano, leading singsongs, or
hosting social gatherings, to name but a few. She was a popular
teacher at Walkerville Collegiate in Windsor, experimental in her
approach, and devoting long hours to marking and to planning lessons.
She helped generations of young people, many of whom wrote to or
visited her in later years. Despite adversities, including the loss of
her beloved husband Charlie in 2012, Lois remained loving, helpful,
humorous, and positive. At 96, she made her last annual trip to her
cherished Island home. She lived a full and rich life, but, at the
end, was ready to leave, and died peacefully. Lois will be missed
greatly by her extended family and many friends.
The daughter of Lt-Gov. J. George and Muriel (Boulter)
MacKay, Lois was predeceased by husband Charlie, infant John William,
brothers, Sutherland and John MacKay, and sisters, Audrey Waugh
Muttart and Phyllis MacKay (infant). She is survived by her children:
George (Ann Willoughby), Ranald (Maura Volante), James (Jennie Jiang),
and Ann; grandchildren, Michael, Caroline, Brigid (Jan Fajerski),
Alanna, Alex (Monika Ptaszynska), Fred (Brittany MacRae), and Jake
Thurgood, and Rebecca Paterson (Fin); great-grandchildren, Lucas,
Lachlan, and Annie Paterson, and Apolonia Thurgood; sister-in-law,
Roma MacKay; former daughters-in-law, Christiane Thurgood and
Katherine Grier; as well as by nephews, nieces, and cousins of many
generations, all dearly loved by Lois.
Among the many her family would like to thank for helping
Lois in her latter years are her doctors and health workers, residents
and staff at Parkland Clayton Park, Halifax, and Oak Park Terrace,
Windsor, and her supportive community in PEI and Windsor, especially
at Emmanuel United.
The funeral service will be at South Shore United Church,
Tryon, PEI, on June 29, 1:30 pm. Visitation will be at Dawson Funeral
Home, Crapaud, PEI, June 28, 6:30 -8;30 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Save The Children in
Lois’s name.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Lois Reta MacKay Thurgood 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Crapaud, Province: I-P-E