Theresa Marion Mombourquette
1927-2021
Our Angel has
returned to Heaven. Theresa Marion Mombourquette (Clannon) passed
peacefully into eternity on February 15,
2021, at the age of 93, with her children beside her at
the Fredericton Hospice House.
Born on September 23, 1927, in the small fishing village
of Little Harbour, Lower L’Ardoise,
Richmond County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to Peter and Emeline
(Campbell) Clannon, Theresa was the youngest of six children. She grew
up near the seaside and had a lifelong love for the ocean and the
peace and beauty of her native Cape Breton Island. As a
teenager in the small community schoolhouse, she had a love for
teaching and often assisted the younger
children with their lessons. After graduating high
school in Arichat in 1945, Theresa moved to Halifax where she worked
for one year at the Zellers store on Barrington Street.
Knowing that retail was not her calling, she applied for and received
a teaching position at a small school in Guysborough Country, NS. She
so impressed the Principal that he recommended she attend
teachers’ college, and she was accepted into the
teachers’ program at the Truro,
NS Provincial Normal College in 1947. After
graduation in 1948, she returned home to
L’Ardoise where she taught until 1952.
In 1952 Theresa married the love of her life, Joseph, a
Canadian Army officer who boasted that, “After
travelling the world I returned home and married the prettiest girl
next door!” Within a few months Joe was
sent overseas with his unit to fight in the Korean
War. Pregnant with their first child, Theresa
returned to L’Ardoise and continued to teach until Joe
returned to Canada in 1954. They lived in Petawawa, Ontario until
1955, when Joe was transferred to Chatham, NB. They were posted to
Oromocto, NB from 1958 to 1962, Montreal from 1962 to 1964, and
finally back to Oromocto from 1964 to 1973. After Joe retired from the
military, Theresa and their family moved to Burton,
NB where she resided for her remaining years.
While raising her six children, Theresa returned to
teaching in the 1970s as a supply teacher in local elementary schools
and Oromocto High School, where she met many wonderful
teachers and students who continue to live in the
Oromocto-Fredericton area.
During her years living on military bases
Theresa made many lifelong friends, some of whom she remained in
contact with for more than 60 years even though they lived in distant
parts of Canada. Her dearest friends were made in the Oromocto area,
through her involvement with the Catholic Women’s League at
St. Mary’s Church and St. Vincent de
Paul Parish, the Oromocto Hospital
Auxiliary (one of its founding members), the
Oromocto Victorian Order of Nurses, and the
Progressive Conservative Party at both the provincial and federal
levels.
Theresa was a woman of deep faith and devotion. She taught
grade two Catechism for more than 40 years and saw
hundreds of her students receive their First Communion. She
was also very involved in adult Christian
education. Although quiet by nature, Theresa took on
leadership roles in the CWL and Hospital Auxiliary and Parish Council.
She was a tireless volunteer for many other charities, including the
Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Red Cross. She was often seen
at bake sales or selling raffle tickets at the Oromocto Mall, or
assisting with events at St. Vincent de Paul. There
were many friends and neighbours who enjoyed her
molasses cookies, pies and famous Cape Breton date squares,
which she often donated for charitable events. We
will miss her nurturing spirit immensely as anyone who was
ever at the house surely heard, “Are you sure
you’ve had enough to eat?”
Theresa is survived by her sons: Colin (Arlene)
Mombourquette, Peter Mombourquette, Kevin Mombourquette, and David
Mombourquette; daughter Maureen (Dale) Cook;
daughters-in-law: Jean Mombourquette, Deborah Fraser
and Kim
Nguyen; 11 grandchildren: Alex, Emily,
Gabrielle, Hailey, Mandy, Neil, Nicole, Patrick, Spencer, Stephen, and
William; 10 great-grandchildren: Alia,
Betty, Caileen, Frankie, Freddy, Jesse, Joseph, Karson,
Lex, and Rachael; sisters-in-law: Sister
Rose Mary Mombourquette (Filles de Jésus) and Anna (Danny)
Mombourquette; brother-in-law Freddy (Margaret)
Sampson; God-children: Leo Briand and Theresa
Clements; and many dear nieces, nephews and cousins. She was
blessed to have many visits from her nieces: Theresa (Terry)
Clements, Natalie (Fenton) Milligan, Elaine (Marvin)
Milligan, and Sherry (Doug) Woodworth, and
nephew Tony (Janet) Mombourquette. She will be missed by her many
close cousins in L’Ardoise who she enjoyed visiting on her
trips to Cape Breton, especially Tommy and Kay Mombourquette, Manny
and Marie (Clannon) Mombourquette, Rita May (Harry) Sampson, and Sally
Anne Mombourquette.
Theresa is pre-deceased by her husband
Joseph; son Michael Mombourquette; granddaughter
Catherine Mombourquette; parents Peter and Emeline Clannon;
all of her siblings and their spouses; Joseph (Kay) Clannon,
Elizabeth (Alfred) Briand, Ann Clannon, Agnes (Peter) Birrette, and
Mary Catharine (Jim) Brian; and bothers-in-law Danny
(Anna) Mombourquette, Raymond Mombourquette and his wife
Irene, and Walter Mombourquette and his wife
Nora.
The family would like to express our sincere thanks
to the staff and volunteers at Hospice House Fredericton
for your heartfelt care of Mom during her end-of-life
journey, and for your kindness
to all the family during this difficult time. The
peace Mom experienced in her final days is a tribute
to the professionalism and compassion of
everyone on your wonderful team.
There will be a visitation starting at 2:00 pm on Thursday,
February 18, 2021 at the Oromocto Funeral Home. Due to public health
restrictictons, please contact the funeral home to reserve a time to
attend the visitation: phone (506) 357-5100 or email
oromocto@mcadamsfh.com and provide your name and phone number for
contact tracing purposes. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place
by invitation only on Friday, February
19, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church,
Oromocto, New Brunswick. For those unable to attend, the mass will be
live streamed at the following link: vimeo.com/513092948
In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice House Fredericton or
a charity of the donor’s choice would be appreciated by the
family.
www.oromoctofh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Theresa Marion Mombourquette 19272021..
Death notice for the town of: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick