SMITH, Mary (‘Mollie’)
Mollie was born in Liverpool England, September 13, 1919 to Sydney and Mary.
Sydney, a printer, served as an orderly in the British Hospital Corp during the Boer War, emigrated to, and worked in Canada for a time, then volunteered and re-enlisted in Victoria BC in 1916 to serve in the Canadian Army Medical Corp / CEF in WW1, returning to England, then serving in France.
Marrying Mary in Dec. 1918 in Liverpool, one month after the armistice, ‘Mollie’ was born the following year.
The new family sailed to Halifax onboard the ‘Metagama’ November 1919, then journeying across the vast country, settling in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver.
Along with best pal, her cousin Mary – aka ‘Freddy’ – Mollie grew along with the city, attending St. Augustine’s parish through the 1920s and 30s. She enjoyed seeing her favourite stars in movies of the day, and acting along with Freddy in amateur musical productions at St. Augustine’s.
After completing high school, Mollie began nursing training and graduated from St. Paul’s School of Nursing in 1942, the same year her father passed away.
Mollie then commenced military training at Nanaimo Military Hospital, receiving her commission as 2nd Lt./ Nursing Sister RCAMC in 1943 with her service beginning on home soil.
The next year, in 1944, Mollie lived what she often recounted as ‘quite the adventure’ of crossing Canada by rail in the deep cold of winter, then sailing from Halifax to England on His Majesty’s Hospital Ship ‘Letitia’, to begin her overseas service in England.
Returning home to Vancouver in 1946 (via New York to take in a few shows on the ‘Great White Way’), Mollie began a lifetime of service at St Paul’s Hospital on the ‘OR’ Nursing Staff.
Mollie also returned to a much-enjoyed hobby begun in high school – to participate in the Vancouver amateur musical theatre scene, in productions like Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado’ with the Vancouver Opera Society, raising money for innumerable charities including Kiwanis, the Lions, and Knights of Columbus.
Along with her cousin Freddy, who also returned from active service, singing and acting was a favoured pastime. Sadly, in 1964, her pal and cousin Freddy passed away, leaving three boys, who came to love their ‘Aunt Mollie’ while growing up.
Mollie lived with, and cared for her aging mother Mary at ‘Englesea Lodge’ apartments on the water side of Beach Ave, until 1978, when her mom passed.
Unfortunately, a short 3 years later, in February 1981, Mollie found herself suddenly homeless after a suspicious fire destroyed ‘The Englesea’, where she lost most of her belongings.
Testamentary to Mollie’s spirit, starting again didn’t faze her – finding an apartment close-by – the ‘White House’ on Comox Street, with a view of ‘her lions’ – she made many friends there, enjoying living in the west end until her move to Windermere Care centre in 2010.
After retiring from St. Paul’s nursing staff in 1984, Mollie enjoyed travelling, taking trips and cruises around the world, many with her also-retired friend and co-nurse Katherine and her husband. Mollie’s tours and pilgrimages included Alaska, Egypt (where she rode a camel at the great pyramids and gave the Sphinx a piece of her mind), England, Ireland, Hawaii, Italy (where she climbed the leaning tower of Pisa, but stood up straight in the photo at the top, and cruised the canals of Venice via gondola), the Vatican (witnessed the Holy Father’s address), the Holy Land, and others.
At age 80, Mollie was thrilled to take a birthday tour across the lower mainland and Fraser Valley in a hot air balloon, crossing it off her bucket list, and followed that up at 85 with a birthday dinner cruise with her extended family and many friends.
It seemed for many of us that holidays and celebrations weren’t complete unless Mollie was present – and her kind, ebullient spirit and generosity – especially to her many ‘nieces and nephews’ in the Hughes, Peter, Swift, Moss, Mathews and Porlier families will never be forgotten.
Her other ‘families’ – her home parish of Guardian Angels, St. Paul’s Hospital staff, friends at ‘The White House’ apartments, and her many caregivers at Windermere Care Centre also mourn and remember Mollie.
Mollie loved Vancouver – as long as she was within a sightline to ‘the Lions’, she felt at home.
Funeral mass will be held at Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at 10:30 AM, with interment following at Ocean View Burial Park at 12:00 PM.
Donations in Mollie‘s name may be made to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it’s in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Mary Mollie Smith..
Death notice for the town of: Vancouver, Province: Colombie britanique