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Mom was born in Saint John, NB and was the youngest of the four daughters of Miriam and Kenneth Wilson. She was called Norine, and also Sue – but that’s a long story about a family nickname which the family outgrew, but friends did not.
She leaves behind children, Rob (Liz) and Janice and the Brown family — Peter and Julie and children John and Sarah, who knew her as Grandma Sue, as well as 11 nieces and nephews, and numerous greats and great-greats.
Mom was predeceased by her sisters, Doris Clowater, Eleanor Marcus and Joyce Pridham, her husband Robert “Bob” Summerby and by her dear friend Miles Brown.
Mom graduated from a two-year pre-nursing program at Acadia U, which was essentially a home economics program with some required science courses. She recalled fish dissections in biology on Fridays, which was followed by dinner of – fish. Mom’s subsequent training at Toronto General Hospital was hands-on to say the least. She began in the emergency room where it was hard, strict and unfair! Curfews required them to sneak in and out of windows at the nurse’s residence, sleeping in any empty bed upon return. If anyone was caught, it was her.
After graduating as an RN, Mom worked at Sunnybrook Hospital, for one year. She and our father married in 1952 and settled in Brockville, knowing no one. She began a three-year stint at the Brockville General Hospital. Mom and Dad had a great time, joining clubs, boating and making friends. Mom got involved with the IODE, Meals on Wheels, Wall Street United Church and bridge clubs. Lively Reynolds Drive neighbours became dear, lifelong friends.
Mom paused her career to raise children. We were loved, well fed, fussed over, and we had wildhoods — with the freedom to explore and play all around us. We had all sorts of pets. Our last dog ADORED her. When we were suitably mature, she requalified to return to her field. She worked at Fulford Home and later joined Dr. Joseph Cooke’s team. She would be a fixture in his office for 14 years.
Mom was a young widow, aged 49, when our father died. Later in life she enjoyed a wonderful 10-year friendship with Miles Brown. He blessed her with an extended family.
Mom loved cross-country skiing and later bird-watching, becoming a founding member of the Brockville Field Naturalist Club. Like many of her generation and in her family, Mom could hear a pack of cards being shuffled from rooms away. She was passionate about live entertainment: college productions at the Brockville Arts Centre, the Brockville Operatic Society and visiting artists. She knitted, sewed, and crocheted. She was a capable painter, thanks to Henry Vyfinkel’s teaching. Mom also loved to swim. Our childhood was full of visits to Brown’s Bay in the summer. She continued to swim until as recently as the summer of 2020 – in the St. Lawrence River!
Mom was big-hearted. She could command her nurse’s stoic demeanour in the most emotional of times, but there were occasions when a stranger’s plight could knock her off kilter. She was a generous donor to the church and numerous charities. In 1991, she and her sisters donated a family-owned island outside Saint John Harbour to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick and it is today a haven and breeding habitat for numerous seabirds – including the glossy ibis!
Mom was also a great shopper. She dressed smartly and could light up a room, especially when she smiled and laughed. She loved outsmarting her smart-ass children and could laugh at herself with ease. She gave a great side-eye practically to the end. Mom would always brighten when she was with people, a trait that warms you to others. When we were planning her 90th birthday drop-in at Wall Street, she estimated we would need sandwiches for 30 people. Over 75 friends and family members came through to wish her well. She maintained that warmth, despite Alzheimer’s and physical challenges, and continued to make friends. She always expressed her concern for us and gratitude for visits and support.
We wish to extend our many thanks to the wonderful staff and heart-warming residents of Wedgewood Retirement Residence and to Salvation Army Grace Manor in Ottawa, which provides unmatched care. To Mom’s Care Coordinators, Nurses and PSWs, you are amazing and appreciated!
A memorial service will be held at Oakland Cemetery, Brockville, in the Spring. Donations made to the Wall Street United Church or to the Brockville & District Hospital Foundation in Mom’s name will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged by her family.
Send a message of condolence or share a special thought of Sue on the Memory Wall above.
Sunday December 17th 2023
Death notice for the town of: Brockville, Province: Ontario
death notice Norine Sue Summerby Sunday December 17th 2023
obituaries notice Norine Sue Summerby Sunday December 17th 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Norine Sue Summerby Sunday December 17th 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
