Mary Anne Greenhill

      “Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Mary Anne Greenhill, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

      Mary was born on February 4, 1921 at at home in Elmira, Ontario. She was the daughter of Ed and Flo Arnold. Raised in Elmira, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

      As a young girl, Mary was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Mary was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Mary was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Mary also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Mary was raised with six siblings. She had two older sisters, Caye and Peggy, two younder sisters, Elaenor and Florence and two younger brothers, Bill and John. Mary was constantly involved in activities with her family. Mary and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

      Growing up, Mary was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Mary was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Mary was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Mary took part in a number of activities as a child. She took part in basketball, tennis, volleyball and baseball. She was a Girl Guide becoming a Guide Leader. In her spare time she liked to knit, sew, bike rides and needlework. Mary's memorable achievements included track and field medals and school records and she was the captain of the basketball team.

      Mary enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Mary was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Mary was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from Elmira District High School in 1940. Mary enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was english and phys-ed. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Ernie Kendall. She was an excellent student with academic honours and had a multitude of track and field trophies and school records.

      Mary had a good disposition for the challenges of college. She always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for her. In fact, Mary seemed to absorb and remember everything she read. Not all things came easily to Mary, however, and she found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. She was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach her goals. She earned her Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto. She did not pursue any post graduate studies. Her favorite courses were english literature and anatomy. Mom Excelled in track and field, winning many trophies. She was on the U of T varsity basketball team, the social convenor of St. Joseph's residence, vice president of the Newman club and was interested in industrial recreation.

      Most folks would say that Mary was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Mary was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Mary best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Mary kept. While growing up, some of her best friends were Jean Bowman, Gladys Doughterty, Bernice Dillon and Orma Stevens. Later in life, she became friends with Cathy and Jack Milloy, Bernice and Harold Meyer, Kay and Frank Sherwood and Ed and Jeanette Gilmore.

      Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Mary. On September 18, 1943 Mary married Michael Paul Greenhill at St. Teresa of Auila Roman Catholic Church of Elmira, Ontario. She was totally committed to Paul and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Mary naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Mary disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

      Mary was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Mary was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Mary was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Mary was blessed with five children, four daughters, Anne, Cathy, Biz and Chris, one son Michael. They were also blessed with eleven grandchildren, Andrew, Lindsey, Paige, Jayne, Eric, Andrew, Cory, Sarah, Mitchell, Nathaniel and Chrisopher.

      If you gave Mary a deadline, she would meet it. At home, Mary was always on task. Without hesitation, Mary could adhere to complicated schedules and ensure everyone was on track. Her primary occupation was a homemaker, and simply being Mom. She lovingly looked after the kids at home, which was no small task. During that time, Mary developed a special individual bond with each and every one of her children. Mary was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Mary had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She will be remembered for the devotion and hard work she put in every day and her dedication to her family.

      Mary liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Mary's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Mary preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were tennis, bridge, sewing, knitting and needlework. Mary was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

      While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Mary often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. In high school, Mary played tennis, basketball, volleyball and track and field. In her college years, Mary continued to stay active with tennis, basketball, volleyball and track and field. Recreational sports included tennis. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were tennis, figure skating and baseball.

      Due to her excellent organizational skills, Mary was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Mary could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Mary was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Mary was a member of the track club and the debate club. In college, Mary joined the social club at St. Joe's residence and dorm and the Newman club at U of T. Throughout her later years, Mary was an active member of the Catholic Womens League, Meals on Wheels, Galt Hospital volunteer, University Womens club, secretary, president and social convenor.

      Mary was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on first hand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Mary was a member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Volunteer Association.

      An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Mary. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of St. Patricks Church for 10 years and a founding member of St. Gregorys in Galt for 35 years. During that time, she was an active member of the Catholic Womens League, treasurer, secretary and president.

      Doing things to help others seemed to come naturally to Mary. She never set out to gain individual recognition, but the praise and accolades given her for her many and varied efforts throughout her life were well deserved. Some of her most prestigious awards included her high school and college sporting awards.

      Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Mary had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Jamaica, England, Japan, Ireland and Vancouver.

      Mary had Schooner, a Heinz 57 dog, who was her best friend for 6 years. Her family was rounded out by smokey the cat. Mary was as loyal to her pets as they were to her.

      When Mary's retirement finally arrived in 1988, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. Her new life involved relocating to Kitchener. In retirement, she found new pleasure in visiting friends and family, the Catholic Womens League at St. Mary's Church and volunteering for the Carmelite Sisters. Even in retirement, Mary continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her.

      Mary passed away on August 21, 2016 at Winston Park in Kitchener, Ontario. Peacefully in her sleep at the age of 95. She is survived by her children, Anne, Cathy, Biz, Chris and Michael. Her grandchildren, Andrew, Lindsey, Nathaniel, Christopher, Jayne, Eric, Sarah, Mitchell, Paige, Andrew and Cory. Great-Grandchildren, Emjay, Georgia, Ainsley, Conner, Calum, Kieran, Harlow, Cohen, Kaitlyn and Charlotte. Services were held at St. Gregorys Church in Cambridge. Mary was laid to rest in Mountview Cemetery in Cambridge beside the love of her life, her husband Paul.

      It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Mary was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Mary was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Mary Greenhill was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Mary. She will be missed.

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Mary died peacefully on Sunday, August 21st at Winston Park Retirement in Kitchener. She was born in 1921 in Elmira Ontario. Her parents were Edward M. Arnold and C. Florence Arnold. Mary was predeceased by her devoted and beloved husband M. Paul Greenhill (1981). Mary was a graduate of the University of Toronto with a degree in physical health education as well as a volunteer for numerous organizations over the years. She and Paul spent their family life together with their children in Toronto and then Galt.

She is missed by her children and their spouses Anne and Dennis Warne (Hamilton); Cathy and Ian Dewar (Toronto); Biz and Gregg Westcott (Toronto); Chris and Mike Elder (Rolesville NC) and Michael and Lidia Greenhill (Cambridge).

Mary is survived by her sister Peggy Black (John) at Winston Park. She was predeceased by her sisters Caye Arnold; Eleanor (Jim) Ferguson; Florence (Doug) Manners; and her brothers Bill (Pat) Arnold and John (Bev) Arnold.

She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Lindsey (Barry) Sheahan; Andrew (Kelly) Warne; Nathaniel (Trish) Dewar; Christopher (Laura) Dewar; Sarah (Tom) Jenkins; Mitchell Elder; Paige (Chris Hannan) Westcott; Jayne Gervais (Marc); Eric Westcott; Andrew (Ashley) Greenhill and Cory Greenhill.

Mary loved her great grandchildren Ainsley and Connor Sheahan; Emjay and Georgia Warne; Calum Dewar; Kieran Dewar; Harlow and Cohen Jenkins and Kaitlyn and Charlotte Greenhill.

She will be missed by her many nieces, nephews and godchildren,

Many thanks to the caring staff at Winston Park who looked after Mary over the past several years.

Visitation will be Thursday, August 25th from 2-4 and 7-9 pm at Coutts Funeral Home, 96 St. Andrews Street, Cambridge, Ontario. The Funeral Mass will be Friday, August 26th at 11 am at St. Gregory’s Parish Church, 10 St. Gregory’s Drive, Cambridge. Interment at Mountview Cemetery, Cambridge (following Mass)

Please join the family for a luncheon at St. Gregory’s Church (following Burial).