Obituary of Doris Mary Laffin

Doris Laffin, 97, passed away October 20, 2016 at Taigh Na Mara Veterans Home in Glace Bay with her family at her side. Doris was born in Sydney, NS on March 28, 1919, the third of 13 children to the late Stephen N. and Minnie (MacDonald) MacKinnon. As befitting her upbringing in a large family during the Depression, Doris was always concerned about the health and welfare of others. She was a graduate of Holy Angels High School in Sydney and the New Waterford General Hospital School of Nursing. She joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and served in WWII as a nursing sister in hospitals in Britain and Italy, where she treated wounded soldiers from the Cape Breton Highlanders unit. Doris and Mike married in 1948, becoming loving and equal partners in their many shared endeavours. Doris worked at Montreal area hospitals while Mike attended dental school at McGill University. She was an independent-minded woman who personally experienced the injustice of nurses being fired for getting married and worked to end it. After Mike’s graduation, they returned to New Waterford to raise their family and serve their community. Doris volunteered at Rotary Clinics, blood drives and children’s clinics. She was a member of the New Waterford Nurse’s Guild, the Cape Breton Association of Nursing Sisters and the Mount Carmel Catholic Women’s League. Doris will be remembered for her warmth, charm and genuine curiosity about people and life. She was as smart as she was lovely; she was generous and kind to all; thoughtful and compassionate. She was a natural political campaigner who put in countless hours supporting Mike with his constituency work. She is survived by her husband Mike; daughters Maureen (Aubrey O’Brien), Linda (George McLellan) and her grandchildren, Christopher and Aynsley McLellan. Doris is also survived by her brother, John MacKinnon, Toronto, sisters-in-law, Cecelia, St. Johns, NF, Delories, Sydney and Friederike, Phoenix, AZ, as well as many nieces and nephews. She shared a particularly close bond with her niece, Claire (Roach) Timmons, whose unstinting love, care and devotion was evident throughout their relationship. She was predeceased by sisters, Evelyn Roach, Claire Della-Calce, Sr. Regis, Irene MacAdam, and Sr. Hilda; brothers Wilfred, Michael, Ronald, Father Leonard, Steve and Gordie. Doris was grace personified and she will be forever missed. Visitation will be held Monday, October 24, 2016 from 6-9 p.m. at V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 380 Smith Street, New Waterford. A funeral mass of celebration will take place Tuesday, October 25, at 11 a.m. in the Parish Church of St. Leonard, Mount Carmel Avenue, with Father Norman MacPhee officiating. Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery with a luncheon to follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Plummer Avenue, New Waterford. Family flowers only. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at: www.vjmcgillivray.ca