Anne Theresa
(Crossman) MacDonald of Antigonish, and formerly of Mulgrave, NS.,
passed away on August 28th, 2022, with her
family by her side at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital.
Anne was born
on March 28, 1952. She was the eighthof seventeen children of Charles
& Evangeline Crossman (Bellefontaine). Anne was predeceased by
her husband of 52 years, Leonard Daniel MacDonald. She is survived by
their children Karen Ann MacDonald, Kimberly Ayre (Ian), and Sarah
Jane MacDonald, as well as her eight grandchildren; Katheresa, Will,
Kiara, Oliver, Albert, Edward, Wyatt, and
Charlie.
Anne was a
loving sister to Mabel Karslem, Boston; Edna Benoit, Wolfville; Mary
Poirier, Boston; Evangeline Derochie, Windsor, Judy Fraser, Westville;
Rose Avery (Walter), Westville; Joe Crossman (JoAnn), Antigonish; May
Hart (John), Antigonish; James Crossman (Dorothy), Antigonish;
Bernadette Pace (Pat), Antigonish; Martha Chisholm (Wally), Westville;
June Crossman, Westville; Lisa MacLaughlin (Kevin), Westville; several
nieces and nephews and her extended MacDonald family. Anne was
predeceased by brothers Douglas, Charlie and Michael Crossman, nephews
Glenn Derochie, Thomas Poirier, Ben Derochie and Douglas Crossman as
well as niece Donna England.
Anne’s journey as a mother and wife began
when she was just sixteen. As her children, we are so tremendously
proud and grateful for her courage at such a young age to accept her
responsibilities of motherhood without hesitation. Mom and dad were a
determined team who worked hard to overcome many obstacles in the
early years to build a loving, safe home, complete with everything we
needed. Mom spent her life giving without question and sacrificing
without expectation. We will be forever grateful for her generosity
and love and inspired by her grit.
Anne was
smart, quick to find solutions, and generous with her
wisdom. She was a woman with strong opinions and will be
remembered as a person who stood up for what she believed in and
worked hard to support her family. For fifteen years, Anne and her
husband Leonard owned and operated A&L Variety, a small
grocery store on Main Street Mulgrave that specialized in ship
chandelling, a Sears Outlet, and a Recycling Depot. She was
a formidable advocate for the town of Mulgrave and gave back by
serving as a Town Councilor, a member of the Mulgrave Recreation
Commission and was the rallying force behind a successful campaign and
march against closing Mulgrave Memorial High School in
1996.
Grandma was
the boldest cheerleader when it came to us grandchildren. She shared a
special and unique bond with each of us that we will cherish forever.
She always had our best interests at heart and loved each of us in the
deepest way possible. Grandma & Grandpy’s Wylde
Street home was our family hub, and it was there that many of our most
wonderful childhood memories were made. Grandma loved to
cook for us. She made the best homemade chocolate cake with boiled
icing, the best Roast Turkey supper with her secret ingredient
stuffing and her gravy was to die for! Although she wouldn’t
admit it, grandma looked forward to hosting her little
darlin’s whenever we got on our bikes and “ran
away” from home because we were feeling peevish at our parents.
She continued to welcome us with open arms when we became teenagers
and young adults. Always seeing us off with a full belly, a bag of
supplies, pocket money and advice on how to conquer the
world.
Mom cherished
the simple things in life. She loved music and loved to dance, a good
cup of tea, tending her flower gardens, watching decorating shows and
finding new ways to change up her spaces, feeding the songbirds,
chatting with her neighbors, sharing a conversation with her friends
and family, making puzzles, playing cards, (especially crib), and
Chinese checkers, attending an occasional game of bingo, and the fall
fair, and snuggling her dogs (Maggie, baby Charlie and Mikey). When
mom was younger, she loved to rabbit hunt with dad and fish for trout
and mackerel. Mom’s favorite season was Christmas, and
nothing made her happier than to give with joy and love and watch as
her gifts were joyfully received. She would plan the perfect selection
of gifts all year and delighted at teasing us to guess the contents of
the wrapped boxes. Mom put so much love into the process that even
after the gift was gone, the spirit of her giving
remained.
Mom will be
profoundly missed as a loving mother, supportive sister, aunt,
sister-in-law, friend, and the world’s best Grandma. The
past ten months without dad were heartbreaking for mom and we are
comforted in our belief that they have been reunited and will together
resume watching over all the people they
love.
“When Someone You Love
Becomes a Memory, the Memory Becomes a
Treasure”
The family
gives heartfelt thanks to the incredible health care team of surgeons,
doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, St. Marthas Regional
Hospital and to Doctor Glenn Gallivan for his care as her family
physician.
Visitation
will take place on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 4-9 p.m. at the
Mulgrave and Area Resting Place. A Celebration of Life will be held at
1 p.m. on Thursday, September 1 at the St. Lawrence Roman Catholic
Church, Mulgrave. Reception to follow at the Mulgrave Fire
Hall.
Donations in
memory of Anne may be made to the S.P.C.A. or the St. Lawrence
Cemetery Fund, Mulgrave. Words of comfort ma be forwarded to
the family at www.haverstocks.com
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Anne Theresa MacDonald 1952 2022..
Dennis Haverstocks funeral homes
Death notice for the town of: Port-Hawkesbury, Province: Nova Scotia