It is with broken hearts that the
family of the late KATHLEEN GORMAN of Grand Bank announces her
passing. Kathleen passed away at the Blue Crest Home in
Grand Bank on February 26th, 2020, at the age
of 78. Born in Noel, she was the daughter of the late Enslie and
Margaret (Hamilton) of Noel, Nova Scotia.
Kathleen was a loving mother and,
like her mother before her, enjoyed hosting large family gatherings
centered around delicious meals. Her children fondly remember weekly
roast pork dinners with crackling, gravy and apple sauce. As she
served the oven-warmed plates, she rarely forgot to warn “Be
careful, that plate is hot.”
Kathleen also followed her
mother’s footsteps into teaching. She was a graduate of Nova
Scotia Teachers College and earned a Masters in Education at Acadia
University. During her career, she taught in Digby, on Tancook Island,
at Hants West Rural High School and Uniacke District School. She
remained an active member of the Retired Teachers’
Organization for many years.
While her children were
young she lived in and around Windsor including Garlands Crossing and
Three Mile Plains. For a time she farmed in West Brooklyn where she
was fond of telling her children “There’s 50 acres out
there. Get out and enjoy it.”
She was active in the Liberal party
supporting several successful campaigns while assisting the campaign
manager and providing sage advice.
In later life she moved to
Bridgewater, where her daughter Jennifer followed as did her
mother.
She enjoyed sewing, quilting and
other needle arts. In retirement, she discovered a love for rug
hooking and continued her passion for teaching in that medium. She was
a true artist dying her own wool and creating her own patterns. She
was especially reknowned and still remembered for her method of colour
planning. Her work was sold as far afield as the United Kingdom. She
was a long-standing member of the Rug Hooking Guild. She had recently
organized a beautiful piece depicting the town of Grand Bank, NL where
she lived the past 10 years. The 16’ x
12’ rug consists of individual squares hooked by local
residents sewn together and now hangs in the town’s United
Church.
She is pre-deceased by her husband,
Henry Severance, daughter, Jennifer Allen-Hart and son, Charles
Jeffrey. Kathleen is survived by brother, Tom Gorman (Kay), AB,
daughter, Jacqueline Riley-Gorman, NS; son, Jonathan Riley, NS; Julian
Riley (Holly), AB, granddaughter, Kate Gorman, NS, whom Kathleen
raised after Jennifer’s death and grandchildren Shawna,
Tatania, Talia, Matthew, Gerald, Bethannie, Jonathan, Justin, Stephen,
Maria, James, Benjamin and Andrew and many great grandchildren and
niece Jocelyn and nephew Jason.
As per Kathleen’s wishes,
cremation has taken place. She was a vibrant person and it
was her wish that her family would join in a celebration of life which
will be held at a later date.
Donations in memory can be made to
the Bridgewater United Church of Bridgewater NS, where Kathleen
enjoyed a welcoming community and faithfully attended weekly Bible
studies.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of KATHLEEN GORMAN 19412020..
Death notice for the town of: Grand Bank, Province: T-N