Muriel Edith Halley
1930-2019
Mrs Muriel Edith Halley (née Newton)
of Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully on Saturday,
July 20, 2019. Muriel was born on May 7, 1930 in London, England to
Edward and Edith Newton. In 1948, at the age of eighteen, she married
Donald Enever Halley, a former pilot in the Royal Air Force and she
continued her work at an orphanage in Es until her two children
were born. Muriel and Don were active members of Main Road Baptist
Church in Romford, Es where they directed the youth group and sang
in the choir. Their home was frequented by young people from the
church, and evenings at the Halley home involved intelligent debate
about all things political and religious, as well as compulsory
listening to radio programmes on the BBC, especially the weekly
“Goon Show” and the yearly broadcast of “Nine Lessons
& Carols” from King’s, Cambridge. Youth group
camping trips turned into Halley family vacations and generated much
hilarity and a trove of happy memories. In 1957, Muriel and Don, and
their two young children, emigrated to Canada, settling in
Ottawa. Don began his career as a music teacher in the
public-school system, eventually becoming principal of several
elementary schools in the city. Muriel initially worked as a secretary
in the private sector before finding her true home in a special needs
school. Muriel’s extraordinary gift with children was a
result of her empathy, youthful outlook, and sense of fun. It
wasn’t coincidental that her husband referred to her as
‘Kid’, and not just because she was seven years
his junior. Muriel and Don engaged fully in the life of their local
Baptist church on Bromley Road in the West End of Ottawa. Don was the
music director and Muriel sang in the choir in order to translate
Don’s overly developed sense of British irony for the
uncomprehending Ottawa choristers. Both Muriel and Don taught Sunday
School and, as in England, were leaders of successive youth groups.
Sunday lunches generally included visitors from around the world who
got in touch through the Baptist World Alliance. Some visitors stayed
for the day; a few stayed for months. After Don’s death in
1982, Muriel moved to Nova Scotia to be close to her daughter, Anna,
eventually buying a house one mile from Anna in Round Hill near
Annapolis Royal. During these years Muriel basically ran a
free-of-charge Bed & Breakfast operation to the everlasting
benefit of her family and friends, who were plied with Chicken
à l’Orange, Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding,
Bubble and Squeak, Trifle, Victoria Sponge, and endless cups of tea
and crumpets, many of which were served in bed as a gracious wake-up
call. Muriel developed significant gifts as a gardener on the property
of her heritage home, and she raised a surprising number of dogs and
cats, many of whom were strays and rescues. As with her immediate
family, her training method centered on treats and other forms of
good-natured bribery. Muriel’s fun-loving nature and
generosity shone even more brightly with the arrival of grandchildren.
Muriel poured herself into providing more than could reasonably be
expected of a grandmother, and she modelled her grandmotherly style on
types one would only encounter in children’s books. Her
annual ‘surprise’ trips, in which she absconded
with her five grandchildren to places kept secret from the parents,
were filled with extraordinary happenings and miraculous doings. Such
trips remain the stuff of legend. Muriel was in good health her entire
life until diagnosed with rapidly-accelerating dementia in 2016.
Nevertheless, even to her last day, Muriel maintained a cheerful
disposition, always ready with a smile and a wink. Muriel is survived
by her children, Anna and Paul, and their spouses, John Edelmann, and
Margaret Race, respectively. She is also survived by five
grandchildren, Vanessa, Samantha, and Nicholas Halley, Alexandra
Redgrave, and Byron Edelmann, their partners, and seven
great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Don
Halley, her parents, Ted and Edith Newton, and her sister, Dorothy
Newton. Muriel’s body has been cremated, and a
memorial service will take place on Sunday, August 11, 2019 at 2 p.m.
at All Saints Cathedral, Halifax, NS. The service will be followed by
an evening reception and celebration of her life for family and
friends at the home of her daughter in Round Hill from 7 to 9 p.m. The
family is grateful for condolences and shared memories. In lieu of
flowers, and reflecting Muriel’s love of music, animal
welfare, and beautiful gardens, donations may be made to Capella
Regalis Men and Boys Choir
(www.capellaregalis.com),
Kings County SPCA
(www.novascotiaspca.ca),
or Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
(historicgardens.com).Funeral
arrangements have been entrusted to the
White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. On-line
condolences and inquiries may be directed to
www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Muriel Edith Halley 19302019..
Death notice for the town of: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia