Mary Isabel Catherine McKenna
February 08, 1934 – May 10, 2021
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McKenna, Mary Isabel Catherine
Age 87 of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia passed away May 10, 2021 at Hospice Halifax after a lengthy illness.
Born in Westville, Nova Scotia, Isabel was the daughter of James and Lucy Fraser. She was married for 62 years to Owen McKenna. She was Mom to many, Nana to many more and Little Nana to just one. While not outwardly demonstrative, Mom was forever warm and caring. The little house on Shore Road grew over the years as children arrived and was always full but never crowded. An early sign of her open door, always room for one more, approach to life came early in her marriage when her youngest sister Heather came to live with her and Owen following the early death of their own mother.
Isabel trained as a Registered Nurse at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, becoming head operating room nurse before marrying Owen. Around her first child’s birth in 1960, she became a full-time mom, eventually to eight children, before returning to school to renew her nursing license to return to full-time work and to Mount St. Vincent University to pursue courses in Religious Studies. Care-giving was both a job and a vocation.
Isabel was active in the community of Eastern Passage most of her life. Establishing roots in a new small community can be challenging but she and Owen apparently thought they would do it through sheer numbers with their eight children. Always supportive of the children and grandchildren, Isabel attended more minor sports games and graduations than many coaches and teachers. In later years she volunteered with the local radio station, Seaside FM. Every bake sale for every cause in Eastern Passage, and later at Woodbury Villa, had Isabel’s fudge or brownies. She will always be remembered by her many friends, fellow volunteers and her bowling buddies.
Isabel was deeply involved in the Catholic Church in her parish and beyond as a lay minister of the Eucharist, a reader and many other roles. Isabel received the Medal of Diocesan Merit in recognition of this work. She will be fondly remembered by her friends in the Catholic Women’s League.
As well as her husband Owen, Isabel is survived by children, Leo (Vera Wheadon), Cathy Paget (Steve), David (Shawna), Patricia Jakeman (Tom), Marita Sheppard (Darrell), Sean (Sandro D’Ascanio), and Mike (Natalie Woodbury). She is also survived by grandchildren Owen, Neil, Sara, Laura, Alex, Nathan, Leah, Ben, Jacob, Jordan and Cameron as well as great grandson Keegan. David and Shawna’s foster children, especially Holly and Kari and their families, were also very important to her. Isabel also leaves siblings Shirley (George Manos), Marjorie (Jim Tetz), Ross Fraser, Jim Fraser (Linda) and Heather (Gary Collens). Isabel is also survived by daughter-in-law Lisa, brother-in-law Michael McKenna, sister-in-law Janet McKenna and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by son Richard, granddaughter Emily, sister Barbara, sister-in-law Loretta, and her husband Owen’s siblings and their spouses.
The family would like to thank all the medical staff at the Dartmouth General and the Hospice Halifax team who cared for Isabel over the course of her illness.
Visititation will be 6:00-9:00 p.m. Thursday August 12, 2021 at Eastern Passage Community Funeral Home, 5 Cow Bay Road, Eastern Passage. Funeral mass will be celebrated 11:00 a.m. Friday August 13, 2021 at St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church , Eastern Passage. Funeral mass will be livestreamed at the following link youtube.com/channel/UCujp_YRLGTD_4_GwMkbdVUg
No flowers please. Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society . Online condolences can be left at www.dartmouthfuneralhome.ca
SERVICES
Visitation
Thursday, August 12, 2021
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Eastern Passage Community Funeral Home
5 Cow Bay Road
Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia –
Funeral Mass
Friday, August 13, 2021
11:00 AM
St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church
1570 Shore Road
Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia B3G 1M5
Funeral mass will be livestreamed at the following link
youtube.com/channel/UCujp_YRLGTD_4_GwMkbdVUg
February 08 1934 May 10 2021
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Mary Isabel Catherine McKenna February 08 1934 May 10 2021..
Décès pour la Ville: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia