Wanda “Elaine” MacKendrick
1936-2022
It is with heavy hearts that we, the family
of Wanda “Elaine” MacKendrick, age 85, announce the
passing of our matriarch on February 10, 2022 at Community
Hospital, O’Leary, PEI. Elaine was born on October
10, 1936 to the late Robert and Ada (Thomson) Shaw in
Bloomfield, PEI. As the eldest child and only daughter, she
enjoyed growing up on the family farm in a small,
close knit community setting, sharing the attention
of her parents with her younger brothers
while playing the role of big
sister.
Our mother took great pleasure in
breaking through some of the barriers of her era. She was
a member of the first grade eleven class in
O’Leary, a group which has been an important part
of her life for many decades. She also attended Prince of Wales
College where she earned her teaching certificate before beginning her
long career as a teacher in a small one room school house in
Bloomfield Corner in 1955.Her love of teaching was obvious to all of
her students as she transferred to schools in Campbellton, Saint
Lawrence, and finally Bloomfield Elementary. A diagnosis of cancer in
1989 put an early end to her teaching career, and while difficult to
turn the page on that part of her life, she moved on
realizing the importance of focusing on her
health.
On June 10, 1957, Mom’s life would take
an interesting twist when after much persistence, she finally
accepted a date with our father. Dad’s perseverance was
rewarded since their first date ultimately led to July
2nd 1960, Mom and Dad’s wedding day. A couple of
years later, they started their family with the birth of their first
child, Ruth, followed by Cindy and Billy. The roles of wife and mother
became Mom’s focus until1969, when she resumed her teaching
career. No stranger to hard work, the art of balancing the
roles of wife, mother, and teacher was one that Mom executed well.
Taking a lead role in milking Dad’s herd of Holsteins was
yet another part of the balancing act she performed every
day.
Like so many of her generation, Mom thoroughly
enjoyed a good chat with neighbours, friends, and family, especially
reminiscing about various life events. While listening to Mom recount
the adventures of her family life in Bloomfield, schooling, and the
early days of her career, it was clear that Mom felt the importance of
impressing upon younger generations the value of community and family
ties. These anecdotes not only provided
information about bygone days but were often
highly entertaining as our mother possessed a great sense of
humour.
Our mother was a quiet woman of deep faith. For
many years she demonstrated this faith as a Sunday School teacher and
leader with Pioneer Girls. We also saw evidence of her immense faith
when she trod difficult paths in her lifetime. Her strength and
perseverance during times of family illness were
remarkable.
Mom was also known for her baking skills,
especially her plum pudding, homemade bread and rolls, and
prize winning dark fruitcake. Following her mother’s
passing, she took up the torch as the family’s chief baker
of molasses cookies. Her youngest nieces and nephew, along with their
children, have enjoyed the opportunity to be taste testers for this
particular cookie as is evident by their reference to her as their
“Nanny Cookie”.
In the last months of her life our mother greatly
appreciated the care she received from Doctors Derek Chaudhary, Bruce
Jones, and Michael Girsberger, Western Hospital and Prince County
Hospital Dialysis Units and staff, LPN Matt Speight and caregivers at
Parkhill Place Summerside, Doctor Hala Al-Salih, nurses and staff of
Palliative Care Community Hospital O’Leary, Transportation
West, and United Taxi for transportation to and from
Dialysis.
Elaine’s passing will be grieved by
daughter, Cindy and her husband Mario Fiset; son Bill and his wife
Geri; step grandchildren Jill (George Ingebrand) and Tim (Alana); step
great-grandchildren Ben, Will, and Emma Harris; brother Allan (Wendy)
Shaw and sisters-in-law Hazel Shaw and Jean Shaw; special nephew and
nieces: Rory Shaw (Ola),Anne Shaw Robinson (Tylan), Libby Shaw (Andrew
MacFarlane), and Moira Shaw(Brandon Turner) who thought of her as a
grandmother as well as special grand nieces and nephews: Sophie Shaw,
Neely, Spencer, Darcy, and Parker Robinson, Hank and Harrison
MacFarlane, and Alistair Turner. She will also be missed by numerous
cousins, nieces and nephews: Shanna Phillips (Lloyd), Jamie Shaw
(Nicole), Pam Walsh (Craig),Lisa McCarville (Derryl), and Robbie Shaw
(Lori Allen) and grand nieces and nephews Tanner Murray, Samuel,
Carson and Isaac Shaw, Liam and Daniel Walsh, Jack and Ella
McCarville, and Brock and Briar Shaw. Elaine was preceded in death by
her parents, her father-in-law, Kenneth and her mother-in-law,
Margaret, her husband Glendon, daughter, Ruth, and her brothers,
Fenton and Wendell Shaw.
Due to current COVID restrictions, there will be
a private wake and funeral for invited guests at Ferguson Funeral Home
Chapel, O’Leary. Funeral services will be live streamed from
Ferguson Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m.
with Reverends Garth MacKay and Gordon Walker officiating. Burial will
follow at a later date at Campbellton United Church Cemetery. In lieu
of flowers, memorials may be made to the Community Hospital O’Leary
Equipment Fund or Campbellton United Church Cemetery
Fund.
www.fergusonsfh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Wanda Elaine MacKendrick 19362022..
Death notice for the town of: O’Leary, Province: I-P-E