Christine Demetre

Christine Demetre, 92, died on December 5th, 2021 in Halifax of complications related to dementia. Born and raised in New Glasgow, Christine moved with her family to Montreal shortly after the second world war. Her dream from childhood was to be a teacher, a dream her parents would not allow her to pursue. They believed that women should not get an education, but focus on getting married and on raising children. Christine tried to be the daughter her parents wanted her to be, but that kind of life was not for her. Instead, she used her autonomy to earn an independent living, to travel at a time when it was unusual to do so, and to live abroad. Some of her happiest years were spent living and working in Athens and in New York.

Christine never lost her love of education. She usually had a book on the go. In middle age, she set out to get the training she had been denied, enrolling in evening classes at McGill and then at St. Mary’s, after she had moved back to Nova Scotia. This was the late 1970s, when mature students were unusual on university campuses. It took courage to be the “older” person in class. After graduating with a B.A. in English, Christine quit her job and enrolled in a B.Ed. programme, finally realizing her dream. She spent the rest of her career teaching English as a Second Language to immigrants and university students in Halifax. Along the way, she made friends around the world who later welcomed her as an honoured guest as far away as Thailand.

Christine is survived by a sister, Beatrice Katsouris, in Halifax, and a brother, Ted, in Gatineau, Quebec, as well as six nieces and nephews. She lost her brothers, Peter and George, and older sister, Nina, in recent years, and her parents, Sam and Mary, long ago.

Funeral Service will take place on Thursday, December 9 at 11am at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church, Purcell’s Cove Road, Halifax. Burial will take place at a family plot in New Glasgow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Halifax Public Libraries in Christine’s memory. Christine spent many happy hours at the library, and donations made in her memory will be directed to the Library’s English Language Learning program. To make a donation please call 902-490-5763, or visit www.HalifaxPublicLibraries.ca/donate to make an online donation.

Please note that Covid-19 protocols, including proof of vaccination, will be required.