Maeve Mary Hancey

Born in Renfrew, Maeve is survived by her siblings Terry (Wendy), Moira (Reno, deceased), Rory (Imelda), Kevin (Rong), Molly, and many loving nieces and nephews in whom she took great interest and pride. Predeceased by her parents Ruth and Peter.

A graduate of St. Patrick’s College in Ottawa and Carleton University where she earned her Master’s of Public Administration, Maeve held a number of senior posts in the federal, Ontario and B.C. governments.

The spirit that drove Maeve to join the inaugural Company of Young Canadians in the late 1960s, serving in projects from Fogo Island to Vancouver, was evident throughout both her professional career and her volunteer work on behalf of the homeless, refugees and youngsters needing after-school tutoring.

Maeve was particularly devoted to a group of young boys and girls in Lesotho. She made several lengthy visits to the orphanage on the outskirts of Maseru to, among other things, help prepare its young residents for their senior matriculation exams. In between, she was a tireless fundraiser for the orphanage, holding a legendary garage sale each year in her New Edinburgh neighborhood.

Indeed, Maeve seemed to live by the words of social activist Dorothy Day: “You can spend your time agonizing or organizing”.

Maeve loved to travel, especially to England and Italy. She was an avid consumer of current events, live theatre and Canadian culture in all forms.

She also loved to host casual dinners for family and friends -- treasured evenings that guaranteed good food, stimulating conversations and stories that tickled the funny bone and touched one’s soul.

For many, she was a role model who lived life as defined by writer and community organizer Saul Alinsky:

“Life is an adventure of passion, risk, danger, beauty, love; a burning curiosity to go with the action to see what it is all about, to go search for a pattern of meaning, to burn one’s bridges because you’re never going to go back anyway, and to live to the end.”

Just as Maeve always held out a helping hand to those in need, her circle of loyal friends and family rallied around her as she navigated the cancer that took her life.

The family would like to thank the compassionate caregivers who attended to Maeve at the palliative care unit of the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital.

A mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Church in Ottawa on Saturday January 27, 2018 at 11:00 am, with reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to one of Maeve’s cherished

charities, the Shepherds of Good Hope, Ottawa would be appreciated.