Mary Frances «Murph» Chisholm
1928-2019
We regret to announce the passing of Mary Frances
«Murph» Chisholm of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in St.
Martha’s Regional Hospital, Antigonish, on August 25,
2019.
Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1928, she was a daughter of
the late Dennis and Jane (Hollohan) Murphy. She graduated
from Holy Angels High School and moved to Antigonish in 1947 to study
and train as a nurse at St. Martha’s Hospital. She graduated
in 1950, meeting many of her life-long friends during those years. She
became known as «Murph» at the hospital to distinguish her
from another Mary Murphy. The nickname became even more helpful when
she married Fraser Chisholm in 1960, as there were a few other Mary
Chisholms in Antigonish at the time.
Murph and Fraser were married for 41 years, spending a
significant period of their days together behind the steering wheel of
a car. There are stories of trips to Boston, Hartford, and every
corner of the province to deliver vehicles to Fraser’s
customers or to visit relatives. Remarkably, she agreed to a honeymoon
trip by car to Monterrey, Mexico in 1960, and in their later years, a
more customary annual drive to Florida.
Once she received her RN designation, Murph was a supervising
nurse at St Martha’s TB Sanitorium for 5 years, with 50
patients under her care. She went on to join Dr. Murphy’s
practice, retiring early to stay at home with her 3 children and to be
available for that next road trip.
While raising her family, she joined the St.
Martha’s Hospital Auxiliary, holding positions of Secretary
and Treasurer for several years, and joined her friends in the
preparation of many fundraising activities for the hospital. She
knitted and crocheted as well throughout most of her life,
contributing to many of the Auxiliary sales until arthritis curtailed
this activity. She took evening classes in ceramics and upholstery
with close friends, Louise, Margie, Evelyn, and Shelagh, and learned
how to use a computer in her 70s. She was still doing her banking
online this year. Our family home benefitted greatly from her
renovating skills and ability to work around its eccentricities, and
she took great pleasure in scanning roadside sales and antique stores
for hidden gems. Fraser learned early on to incorporate such ventures
into every travel itinerary.
We’ll remember our mother for her love, dedication,
generosity, intelligence, sharp wit, determination, strength, courage,
and her fierce independence. Despite a debilitating back issue for
almost 20 years, she continued to make trips to Saint John, Ireland,
and Florida to visit.
Even as her activities became more limited, she took great
pride in still being able to make the decisions needed to maintain her
home and garden. Murph was always a great reader, primarily of murder
mysteries, exchanging books and recommendations on a regular basis
with close friends. Her bird feeder in the kitchen was also a pleasant
daily distraction for both her and her
visitors.
Murph is survived by her 3 children Paul (Lucia), Cork,
Ireland; Michael (Colleen), Saint John, NB; and Elaine in Seattle, WA;
her grandchildren, Kelly (Eoin) O’Doherty, Cormac Chisholm,
Erin (Borden) Mann, and Devon Chisholm; her great grandson,
Flynn O’Doherty; her sister, Dolores Lynds, Truro; her
brother, Peter Murphy, British Columbia, and her many nieces and
nephews in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia,
Ontario, and in the US.
Predeceased by her husband, Fraser; brother, John; and
sisters, Patricia, Shirley, Veronica, and Jeanette.
Visitation will be held Wednesday in C.L. Curry Funeral Home,
135 College Street, Antigonish, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm.
Funeral Mass will be held Thursday at 11:00am in St. Ninian Cathedral,
Reverend Donald MacGillivray presiding. Burial in the parish
cemetery.
In Memoriam, donations can be made to VON Antigonish or St.
Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation. Online
condolences: www.clcurry.com
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1928-2019
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Mary Frances Murph Chisholm..
Décès pour la Ville: Antigonish, Province: Nova Scotia