Mary Emilie White

Age 96 passed away peacefully on May 24th in Halifax. Born Christmas Day, 1922 in Windsor, Ontario, the daughter of Harvey and Gladys Thorne (Redmayne). Predeceased by her sister Nancy Ross (7 years her senior), she is survived by her children Diana (Hodges), Nicolas and Mark, grandchildren Simon and Elizabeth (Wilson), great-grandchildren Scarlett and Indigo. At age 7 the family moved back to Nova Scotia, where they had deep roots. Mary's father was a civil engineer, who had worked on the 1st Windsor/Detroit tunnel as well as many projects in Nova Scotia. Her mother was a well-known Nova Scotia artist. During her childhood in Halifax Mary gained a passion for figure skating. As a young adult she would teach others, including a young British naval officer. Marrying Thomas White in the later part of World War II, she moved to England in the last convoy of the war, taking 1-year old Diana with her. Apart from a brief time with a naval posting in Malta, Mary spent the following years raising a family on the south coast of England. Five years after Diana came Nicolas, with Mark six years after that. Mary also became a keen gardener - the envy of many neighbours. Fascinated by history too - a good place for it! Her love for nature also grew at this time. She had two trips back to Nova Scotia in the fifties which the children and her parents also enjoyed greatly. Divorcing Thomas in the mid-sixties, she remained in England until the late eighties. Mary then returned to Halifax, instantly re-connecting with her sister, numerous cousins and many childhood friends. Many happy Summers swimming at the "Waeg". Winters saw her resume her passion for skating. New friends too. Her son Mark was also in Canada by then (now in Vancouver). An excellent host, she will be remembered especially for her story-telling and humour. Mary had a great love of dogs - including her own as a child, two family ones and later those of her now adult children, Diana and Nicolas. Her later years were spent at the Berkeley, Halifax and most recently at Maplestone Enhanced Care. A special thanks to all the staff at Maplestone for the excellent, cheerful, care she received. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice. To leave messages of condolence please visit: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com