Parcourez la nécrologie de Bridget Swan Thurbide June 3 1927 April 27 2024 96 Years Old résidant dans la province Nova Scotia pour le détail des funérailles
Bridget Thurbide Obituary
Bridget Thurbide
Bras d’Or
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bridget Thurbide, age 96, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Harbour View Hospital in Sydney Mines.
Born in Bras d’Or on June 3, 1927 to the late George and Catherine (Marsh) Swan, Bridget always enjoyed a close and loving relationship with her family. She particularly enjoyed dancing, ice skating, singing and harmonizing with her sisters. In her last years, she would often sing some of the old standards, Two Little Girls in Blue being a favorite. She was the last surviving sibling, having been predeceased by sisters Monie, Katie, Maggie and Lois, along with brothers Oscar, Dennis and Bryce.
Bridget married the love of her life, Peter Reginald “Reggie” Thurbide in 1947. They tackled life’s ups and downs as true partners for over 73 years until God called Reggie home on August 26, 2020. In her years as a young mother, Bridget was a loving and devoted homemaker, renowned for her delicious homemade breads, apple pies, and strawberry jams. She kept involved in her children’s schools and activities, helped to organize the little league, and organized horseshoe tournaments and many other activities in summer. She kept life fun for her family and for neighbors or visitors, whom she always made to feel welcome. She wouldn’t hesitate to clear a room for an impromptu dance party or strike up a sing-along. She always said that to have a good neighbor, you need to be a good neighbor, and those were words that she lived by.
After Reggie was injured in a coal mining accident, Bridget truly rose to the occasion, packing up six children and moving with Reggie to Boston, where in addition to caring for her husband and children, she took a job working as a nurses’ aid in a State Hospital in Boston. Though she often worked under difficult conditions, caring for both elderly and mentally ill patients, her warmth, humor and genuinely caring demeanor made her a favorite of patients and co-workers alike. It was there that she earned several of her many nicknames – Sunshine, Biddie, Mrs. T., and “Thunder” after a particularly fun dance party that she organized. She and Reggie became second parents to all of the neighborhood kids, many of whom still fondly recall how she would greet them after school with a warm smile and snacks, always making them feel welcome.
After their children were grown, Reggie and Biddie returned to Cape Breton, where Biddie continued to work as a crossing guard. It was there that she got her favorite nickname, “Big Mama,” after her first granddaughter Tammy was born.
She was blessed to be Big Mama to many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to many other children who weren’t family but she treated them that way nonetheless.
Bridget’s deep faith shaped her life and kept her very involved in the church. She and Reggie did daily Mass, and in times of trouble you could always call her for a prayer and encouraging words. When she retired, she became the President of the Pensioners Club, volunteered organizing eucharistic ministers for St. Joseph’s Parish, and enjoyed card games with friends and neighbors.
In addition to her husband Reggie, Bridget was also predeceased by her daughter Laverna and son Peter. She will be greatly missed by her children Helen Perry and Miriam (Peter) Hawkins of Cape Breton, Tom (Cathy) Thurbide, Isabelle (Dave) Cocchi and Gerard (Kristin) Thurbide of Boston, as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.
Bridget’s family would like to express their deepest gratitude and sincerest appreciation to the incredible staff at Harbour View Hospital, whose patience, warmth, dedication and loving care always brought a smile to Bridget’s face, and whose kindness and compassion provided Bridget’s family with so much comfort and reassurance. Special thanks as well to Dr. Michele McKeough and his assist Louise for all of their excellent care over the years.
A visitation for Bridget will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 3, at the W.J. Dooley Funeral Home at 107 Pleasant St. North Sydney. A funeral mass in celebration of her life will follow on Saturday, May 4, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Bras d’Or with Rev. Chinonso Alaribe officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. A reception will be held following the service at the Bras d’Or Pensioners Club and all are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bridget’s memory can be made to St. Joseph Cemetery Fund. Online condolences can be left for the family by writing on the tribute wall of the obituary page at www.wjdooley.com.
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