Mary Jo Veale

Mary Josephine Veale passed away peacefully in her sleep the morning of Monday, March 28th, 2022 at the tender age of 84. Born Dec. 14th, 1937 in New Westminster, BC, Mary Jo was the first of 4 children born to Andy and Sarah Gray. She is survived by daughter Linda, son Travis as well as grandchildren Adam, Thomas and Liam. In addition she has numerous great grandchildren, among them Nevaeh, Keenan, Summer and Aiden as well as honorary grandchildren Jonathan, Caliyah and Ty. She is predeceased by her daughter Laura, both her parents as well as her siblings Robert, Peggy, and Bill Gray.

Mary-Jo grew up in Calgary in Mt Pleasant area attending Balmoral and Queen Elizabeth schools. Life soon took her to the True Canadian North, where she married her first husband, Bobby, and gave birth to her twin daughters, Linda & Laura. When the page turned on that chapter of her life, she continued her journey north, where she met her second husband, Ed Nelson, with whom she built a successful business, and had her third child, Travis. As fate would have it, things were not meant to last in Alaska, and Mary-Jo returned to Calgary in 1975, where she settled in Dalhousie to raise her children with the help of longtime friend David McKenzie.

Later, after her children left home, Mary-Jo settled in the community of Rosemont, where she became a fixture of the community for the remainder of her days. She owned several properties in the area, and Rosemont residents were familiar with seeing her on a daily basis as she delivered her flyers or was out walking her Greyhounds.

Family was extremely important to her. She loved her mother dearly, and did everything in her power to assist her siblings, children and grandchildren.

Mary-Jo’s Memorial Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 4st NW (Across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) at Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations towards the Calgary Woman’s Emergency Shelter at https://www.calgarywomensshelter.com/