Ola Mae Florence Marie
Comeau Williams passed away peacefully at the Albert
House hospice in Moncton on July 4th, 2022, at the age of 96.
She was pre-deceased by her beloved
husband, Jim, her mother, Beatrice, and her two sisters, Rita and
Eleanor, along with three sisters who died in their infancy. She will
be survived by her two children, Susan (Juan) and Jimmy (Maureen), her
best friend, Don Lynch, her four grandsons, Eli, Gabe, James
and Patrick, and by her three sisters, Eunice, Albertine, and
Esther.
Ola was born in Port Elgin on
Valentine’s day, 1926. She was the
6th of 9 girls born to Beatrice Comeau
and Dolphe Comeau. After school, she attended secretarial school in
Memramcook, and soon afterwards the small town girl from Port Elgin
made the move to Toronto, where her persistence and personality landed
her a job with Imperial Oil. But the lure of her hometown as
well as the developing love for her future husband brought her back to
Port Elgin, and she wed Jim Williams in 1953. They then
built their home, and had two children, Susan and Jimmy. She worked as
school secretary in Port Elgin in the 1970’s, later moving
to Salem Elementary school in Sackville, after the sudden passing of
her husband in 1973 vaulted her into the dual roles of full time
mother and breadwinner. She worked there up to her
retirement. All the while, she maintained a big house and
helped her two children through university degrees, making good on a
promise she had made to her husband. Eventually she sold the
house, and moved to various apartments in Moncton, finally living in
Moncton Residence before passing away at the Albert House
hospice.
Those of us who knew her loved her
spirit and her sense of humour. Like all of the Comeau
women, she had a quick wit, and loved to laugh and banter.
At get-togethers, she still was the one to «act the fool», a
role she took on early in life. She had the ability to
imitate almost anyone, and could tease a smile from young and old with
her antics. When her mother passed away in 2003, at the age
of 103, she enthusiastically assumed the role of matriarch for our
family. Her spirit and pluck was best exemplified when she
travelled to Rome in 2015 at the age of 89 with her daughter Susan,
close family friend Don Lynch, and her daughter-in-law
Maureen. She never missed a step on that trip, saw all the
sights to see, and was especially proud of walking to the top of the
Papal Palace of Castel Gandolpho, and the Castel
Sant’Angelo, a hike that left her younger companions
winded.
Ola lived a full life, and found the
time to be involved with many organizations. When Jim was
still living, they were active in the Rotary club functions, as well
as bridge parties and the local bowling league. She was a
longtime member of the Catholic Women’s League, and very
active in federal politics,serving as the President of the Westmorland
Liberal Women’s Association for many years. She worked
tirelessly behind the scenes, supporting the local MP for
Beauséjour, and took special pride in the fact that she
actually nominated Jean Chrétien when Ferdinand Robichaud
stepped down to allow the new leader to run. As did her
mother before her, she read the newspaper «corner to
corner», and had a ready opinion on most current
affairs. She loved to read for pleasure, and used to say
«if you have a good book, you’re never
lonely».
She loved to entertain, and for decades
the house in Port Elgin was the «go-to» spot for family to
gather. I remember seeing her wander around the house one
night when she had made room for 19 overnight guests – she
was carrying a pillow and blanket, and looking for a place to lie
down. Despite having an impossibly tiny kitchen, she produced
delicious meals. She could transform the stringiest cut of
beef into mouth-watering pot roast, and could often be found, on a
Sunday afternoon, preparing a tasty roaster full of rabbit and
whipping up a delicious blueberry pie.
She was an enthusiastic and bold card
player, never afraid to go for broke, and making it more often than
not. More than the winning and losing, she enjoyed the
company and banter more than the outcome (although she never minded
winning). One night she had the other card players in
stitches, playing half the hands with a paper bag pulled down over her
head. She sure knew how to get a laugh. She loved good
scotch, smoked salmon, lobster feeds, the Blue jays, crossword
puzzles, and all sundry pets her children acquired over the
years.
More than anything, she loved
family. Her mother occupied a special place in her heart,
and she used to say that a day didn’t go by without her
thinking of Beatrice. She had an incredible bond with her
sisters, and when they got together the years would melt away, and the
laughter and cackles would accompany the stories told and
retold. Her children always came first for her, and when the
grandchildren arrived, no grandmother could have been more
proud. She never missed a significant event in their lives,
and had a special bond with all of them. She used to remark
on how it was so special that they wanted to sit and talk or play
cards with an old woman like her, she never appreciated what she meant
to the grandchildren.
She will be sorely missed by all family
and friends.
Arrangements are under the care and
guidance of Jones Funeral Home, Sackville and Port Elgin, NB
(506-364-1300). The funeral mass will be held at Saint
Bernard’s Church (43 Botsford Street, Moncton) at 9:30 am on
Monday, July 11, 2022. A brief reception will follow, and
the burial will be at 1 pm at St. Clements Cemetery in Port Elgin.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be
made to the Albert House hospice, or a charity of your
choice.
Sharing of memories and condolences may
be sent to the family by visiting the online memorial at
www.jonesfuneralhome.ca or through the Jones Funeral Home Facebook
Page.
1926 2022
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Ola Mae Williams 1926 2022..
Décès pour la Ville: Sackville, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick