Obituary of Hazel Musial, Gardiner Mines

On the evening of Friday, October 9th Heaven gained another angel. With her family by her side, Hazel Musial (Nana) passed away peacefully in the An Cala Palliative Care Unit. The staff and physicians helped us celebrate her 91st birthday on October 6th. Hazel was the daughter of the late Henrietta (Langley) and Felix Burke of Lingan, NS. She grew up in Lingan until she married the love of her life, Connie Musial, on August 2, 1949. They spent 62 years together in their little yellow house in Gardiner Mines and raised their two girls Toni and Valerie. They loved a good party with lots of music, laughs and dancing and were often found “up to no good” trying to pull a prank on someone. Hazel worked in the kitchen at the Sandbar Tavern in Dominion and the Tasty Treat in Sydney. Anyone who knew her knows her favorite hobbies were cleaning, cooking and baking. She couldn’t wait for people to pop in for a visit so she could feed them a meal and a treat . . . and never a piece of lint to be found! She enjoyed a good card game, Bingo with her bestie Wanda and the girls, and a trip to the Casino once in a while. She and Connie loved their time with the family out on the Mira for years and their summer visits to Margaree. Hazel got the thrill of a lifetime when we took her to Halifax to see Daniel O’Donnell with a backstage pass to meet him! She was so proud of receiving her first ever graduation certificate at the ripe old age of 80 from the Palliative Care Volunteer Training Program and took great pride in volunteering. She had one of the best days of her life when she took part in the Palliative Care staff/volunteer amazing race. Hazel will be missed by daughters, Toni McNeil and Valerie Morrison; grandchildren, Lisa McNeil-Campbell (Graham), Carrie McNeil (Colin) and Evan Morrison. She loved being a great-grandmother to Presley Hynes (Ron Dazo) and Carter and Gabrielle McNeil. She will be greatly missed by brother, Stan Eksal and sisters-in-law, Anita and Theresa Burke. She was a proud “Aunt Hazen” to many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents; husband, Connie; infant son, Conrad; sons-in-law, Walter McNeil and Gerry Morrison; sisters, Pearl MacIsaac, Frances Kelly, Yvonne MacNeil, and Mabel McSavaney as well as brothers, Stan, Tony, Pius and Raymond. To the VON nurses, City Homemakers and EMT staff, we can’t thank you enough. We will never forget the incredible care given by the Palliative Care staff and physicians. Special thanks to nurses Michelle Kelly and Brett Gillis and Drs. Abboud and Burns. To Hazel’s niece Sister, you will never know how much it meant for us to have you by our sides through all of this. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 7-9 p.m. in V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 380 Smith Street, New Waterford. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we ask that all in attendance wear a mask and practice social distancing. A private Funeral Mass of celebration will be held in the Parish Church of St. Leonard with Father Peter MacLeod officiating. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery, Gardiner Mines. Donations in Hazel’s memory may be made to the An Cala Palliative Care Unit or charity of choice. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at: www.vjmcgillivray.ca.