Obituary
Words cannot express how much we wish we did not have to say this, but, after a long and hard fought battle with ovarian cancer, our beloved, kind, strong, compassionate, caring and all around beautiful girl, Amanda Rose Ann O’Brien, took her place in Heaven on October 10, 2020. She was born in Saint John on June 4, 1981 to Joseph O’Brien and Cecilia Turple, and was the loving wife to husband Jeremy Lackie.
Amanda was a caring and kind person who devoted her life to her children, staying at home to raise them, while also running her own in-home daycare. She did some wedding planning for others and worked a variety of jobs throughout her life, but she mostly dedicated her life to raising her three amazing girls. She lived her life to the fullest, despite her health battle. Her life was a story that sadly ended much too soon, and for that we are truly heartbroken. She will be mourned and we will never get over this loss, but she will be remembered for every second of every day for how wonderful she was, how much potential she still had left to give, and how deeply she cared for the future of her children and family.
She was such a laid-back and kind soul. She always saw both sides of everything and gave the benefit of the doubt. Like her father Joe, she often played the role of encouraging and kind peace keeper. Like her mother Cecilia, she loved her children fiercely and would do absolutely anything for them at the drop of a hat. She was a true best friend to her sister Jamie – she was the first person Jamie would call with any news, big or small, or just to chat. She was a beloved role model to her sister Brittany, and was her #1 supporter. She was a great friend and spent many nights telling stories and singing her heart out in the shed. She was so loving and genuine, and all of her amazing qualities will live on in Emma, Laila, and Nitalia.
Besides her children, her greatest and proudest legacy will be her dedication to educating people about ovarian cancer. She has already affected so many lives by sharing her journey, and her story will affect an untold number of people in the coming years. Amanda was a warrior. She was #AmandaStrong until the very end. Her strength and resiliency has inspired us all to live our lives to the fullest.
“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”
She gave back to her community through humanitarian efforts like volunteering at the Romero House Soup Kitchen, buying presents for families in need for Christmas and recruiting others to help, and being a spokesperson for Ovarian Cancer Canada.
Amanda leaves behind her adoring parents Joseph O’Brien (Sandra MacLean) and Cecilia Turple (Russell Maillet); her husband, Jeremy; her precious daughters, Emma Leigh, Laila Rose and Nitalia Joyce; her sisters, Jamie O’Brien (Matt Corkum) and Brittany Turple-Brehaut; her cherished nieces Gabrielle, Madeline and Isabelle Luck; her adored nephew Lincoln Corkum; her adorable dog Poppy, as well as numerous loved cousins, aunts and uncles, and many, many friends.
The family wants to thank her nurses and caregivers in palliative care at the Saint John Regional Hospital. We also want to give extra special thanks to several family members: for their tremendous, repeated prayers, Roy and Megan Turple, Aunt Cathy & Uncle George Cotton, and Nanny Rose; to her uncle Mike Turple for the many nights spent overnight at the hospital; to her sister Jamie for all the time spent at her side in the hospital, doing her hair and makeup and holding her hand; her sister Brittany for spending time with the girls and promising to always be with them; to her favourite stepdad Russell for always being there and doing so much, from running her to appointments to helping with the kids – there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Amanda; and to her mom Cecilia for always being there for Amanda – raising money with draws, hospital visits, making arrangements, and loving her with all her being.
Amanda found God again through King’s Church, and she loved going to services and watching them online. Words can’t express how much the support of the church family meant to Amanda, and how much their continued support means to the family. Thank you to Pastor Dan for all his support, visits, kind words, and dedication.
With Covid restrictions preventing us from having everything we would like to have for Amanda, we will still be celebrating her life in the best way that we can. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 2-8pm at Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road (646-2424). A Celebration of her Life will be held on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10am at the Fundy Funeral Home Chapel, with interment to follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Masks and social distancing will be required for the visitation and funeral service, and seating is limited to the first 100 people for the funeral service. To maximize the number of attendees at the funeral, please arrive with and sit with people who are in your “bubble.” We encourage everyone who won’t be permitted into the funeral to watch it via livestream at www.fundyfuneralhome.com, and have a Rockstar toast in her honour.
In lieu of flowers, it was Amanda’s wish that people make a donation to an education fund set up for her daughters (care of Cindy Turple – turple@me.com).
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Amanda Rose Ann O’Brien June 4 1981 October 10 2020 (age 39)..
Death notice for the town of: Saint-John, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick