Obituary of Jean Marie MacDonald, New Waterford

It is with great sadness that the family of Jean Marie MacDonald announce her passing at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital on August 30, 2022 at the age of 79.

Jean was the daughter of the late Ronald and Mary Ellen (White) MacDonald. She was a graduate of Mount Carmel High School and a devout member of Mount Carmel and St. Leonard’s Church. She lived in the family home in New Waterford all her life and later moved to Acadia House.

She is survived by three brothers, Michael (Camilla), Fred (Katherine), Ronald (Mary Paula); and two sisters, Judy MacDonald and Paula Trueman (Allan). Jean also leaves behind many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to  “Jeanie”.  She loved special family dinners at Ronald and Mary Paula’s, attending family weddings, chatting on the telephone, receiving mail, listening to country music on the radio, watching Jeopardy and attending functions with her friends at Acadia House. She also loved to shop at Walmart, go to the movie theatre and finish off the evening with a good chicken burger. But more than anything else, Jeanie loved to attend Mass whether in person or on television. She had an uncanny ability to find great happiness in all her daily activities.

She said the rosary and prayed for everyone everyday and firmly believed it was her job to keep those close to her safe, healthy and happy. Indeed, if anyone had a problem, a call to Jeanie had it quickly added to her prayer list. Nothing brought her greater joy than hearing that her prayers had worked and that her nieces and nephews and their families were all doing well.

As we celebrate Jeanie’s life…a life well lived, let us remember:

“When your soul, the flame, the spark, meets with the divine fuel that is so pure and so strong, it results in immense enlightenment…the enlightenment of God!”

Jeanie, we know you have followed the light and have found true peace and that brings us all great joy.

There will be no visitation. A Funeral Mass of celebration will be held on Friday, September 2, 2022 at 10 a.m. in the Parish Church of St. Leonard, Mount Carmel Avenue, with Father Godwin Obike officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Carmel Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, New Waterford. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at: www.vjmcgillivray.ca.

Jean’s family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Acadia House in New Waterford for the excellent care she received while a resident there. A special thanks also goes out to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney and in particular the staff in the An Cala, Palliative Care Unit. A sincere thanks is also extended to Dr. Saneea Abboud.