Thelma Winnifred Boutilier

It is with great sadness that the family of Thelma Winnifred (Hillier) Boutlier passed away peacefully at the home that she had shared with her husband Mel since 1966. She was 90 years old. Thelma is predeceased by her parents and her husband and is survived by her brothers Eric (Elaine) Pace (Hackett’s Cove), and Glenn (Beverley) Pace (California), and her chosen children, Marie Pifher (Gordon) of Maryland; Robert Wright of Halifax; Rugiatu N'doleh of Halifax; and Eunice Abaga of Halifax; as well as all the nieces, nephews and cousins who sit upon the many branches of the Boutilier family tree.

Thelma was born in Abington, Connecticut to parents Louise and Allan Hillier. After her father’s death shortly after her birth, Thelma moved with her mother back to Lamaline, Newfoundland. Later moving to Hackett’s Cove Nova Scotia where Mrs. Hillier married Mr. Eric Pace. The family ran a general store where Thelma learned the value of work and found her love of numbers and the ability to manage money. Thelma was a very caring and protective older sister to her brothers Eric and Glenn. She was their guide, friend and mentor during many important times of their lives.

Thelma attended a one room school in Hackett’s Cove but moved to Halifax and attended Queen Elizabeth High School. An excellent student, she excelled in math and chemistry and competed for and won academic prizes in both subjects. After high school she studied Laboratory Technology at the Nova Scotia Institute of Technology and received multiple job offers before she graduated. She accepted a role at what is now the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and went to work immediately after graduation.

With the work ethic she learned as a child working at her father’s general store Thelma had a remarkable career. She retired after 38 years of service as the Divisional Chief Technologist of Clinical Chemistry, overseeing over 100 employees and a budget of millions of dollars. As further testament to her accomplishments as a manager, after her retirement, Thelma was recruited by the physician pathologists she worked with to manage their group practice. A project that was supposed to last a few months or years turned into a second career of 27 years. Thelma finally retired after working 65 years basically at the same medical complex.

Like her husband Mel, Thelma was a long time member of the Halifax Seventh-day Adventist Church. She held many roles over the years and was a diligent student of the bible and a model of Christian charity. Thelma served as an ordained elder at a time when Adventists were just beginning to accept women in that role.

Thelma was her husband Mel’s partner in marriage and philanthropy. She assisted him in the establishment and operation of the Parker Street Food Bank and was especially the mastermind behind the very successful Christmas Dinner programme. She was the wind beneath his wings and Mel regularly commented that she was indispensable to this work.

Because of the COVID19 restrictions a celebration of life was not held for Mr. Boutilier. A joint service will be held for Thelma and Mel on the evening of January 26, 2023 at St. George’s Church on Brunswick street at 5:00pm. An internment service for Thelma will occur the following morning at William Black Memorial Cemetery in Glen Margaret, Nova Scotia. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Metro Care and Share Society: https://metrocareandsharesociety.com