February 17, 1945 - August 28, 2023
Mary Lou (ML) was born in Edmonton, Alberta, but spent most of her early years in Halfax, Nova Scotia where she attended Gorsebrook School and Queen Elizabeth High School. She had such good memories of growing up in Nova Scotia and maintained friendships from these years right up until she passed.
After graduating high school, ML moved to BC where she attended post secondary to become a teacher. One of her first positions was in Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island and she told many funny and heartwarming stories of her time there. As a primary teacher in District #37 (Delta) for over 30 years, ML taught at several schools including Ladner, Hawthorne, Cliff Drive and Neilson Grove Elementary. She truly enjoyed teaching her students how to square dance and then perform for assemblies, creating their own personal autobiographies and leaving her class knowing the basics of arithmetic calculations. Each of her students would receive a gift of a personal copy of that year's class activities on a CD-ROM.
ML split her time between Ladner and the Sunshine Coast after she retired. Her apartment in Sechelt was on the ocean and she could be found swimming out front during every season of the year. She was also an avid collector of 19th and 20th Century dolls, books, toys and games which were proudly displayed in her Ladner and Sechelt home. ML was a life-long learner, most recently attending Capilano University Baptist Church in West Sechelt.
ML's faith ran deep and she was a lifelong member of the United Church of Canada. She was a very generous financial donor to the Sechelt Hospital and Delta Hospital Foundations, spending countless hours volunteering at the Foundation's Ladner Thrift Store. Over the years, she supported many immigrant families who came to Canada with needed clothing, school supplies and friendship.
ML was predeceased by her father, Gordon and mother, Elizabeth. She is survived by her brother, Bill and her special friend and past student, Timothy Lake. She will be sorely missed by her many friends and family from across Canada and the US.
No service at her request.
Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity. ~ Mother Teresa
