Karen Florence Lewis

The family of Karen Lewis, Mount Uniacke, is saddened to announce her passing on Tuesday June 22, 2021 at the Halifax Hospice after a long, courageous battle with cancer. She died peacefully with her family at her side.

Karen was born in Sydney, Cape Breton, and grew up in Edwardsville. In 1987 she moved to Bedford Nova Scotia with her husband Dougie.

Predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Florence Sheppard, Karen is survived by her husband of 57 years Dougie, daughters Shauna (Glen) and Leanne (Randy), granddaughters Maggie and Emily, sisters Sharon, Anita (Bernie), Rebecca (Keith), Leona, Patricia (Barry), brothers Brennan (Linda), Brian, Gerald (Kathy), and many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

Karen met the love of her life Dougie in 1963. They were set up on a blind date and have been inseparable ever since. After only 8 months of dating, Dougie realized what a special woman she was and proposed marriage. She accepted without hesitation and they have spent the past 57 years laughing, loving life and have worked together to have a great marriage in good times and in bad.

Loved by everyone whose life she touched, Karen had a unique way of making you feel good about yourself. Her outgoing, youthful personality made it a joy to be around her and life was just a bit more fun when Karen was around. She was always up for a fun adventure and if she got into a bit of trouble along the way… all the better. She was very artistic and excelled at decorating, sewing, and was also a very accomplished knitter. Her creations will always be cherished by her family as she made sure the designs would be timeless. Gardening was yet another talent of Karen’s. Creating a beautiful landscape is no easy feat in Bedford or Mount Uniacke, yet she created spectacular gardens that were envied by many.

She loved animals and animals loved her. Her most recent pets were two Westies, Molly and Joey. They were her pride and joy who could do no wrong even when they were “full of the devil”. We know she is now reunited with them and that they have resumed their daily walks together along with the many other pets she loved over the years.

Karen was a professional hairstylist and had her own business for many years in Sydney, Cape Breton. When she and Dougie moved to Bedford in 1987 she started again and built a second successful hairstyling business in her home. She had a long list of clients with whom she developed lasting relationships. She would often comment on how her clients liked to share their stories, good or bad. We know this was true because Karen was such a good listener. She provided a shoulder to cry on or a good laugh when people needed it. Her clients would leave feeling good on the inside as well as the outside. Her family often joked with her that she should start charging extra for the “therapy” she provided with the haircut.

Karen was immensely proud of her family, especially her daughters, Shauna and Leanne. She has been a huge part of their lives and always there to help and support them. She helped guide them when choosing a career and taught them to be strong, self-reliant women. She went back to school to get her own career at a time many women did not work outside of the home, demonstrating that having both career and family was possible. She encouraged her youngest, Leanne, to pursue a nursing career and was right on the money with this suggestion as Leanne has proven to be an excellent nurse to many patients over the years and most recently to her mom.

In the fall of 2020 she helped her eldest daughter Shauna and son-in-law Glen find the property of their dreams: a farm in Summerville. After they acquired the 80-acre farm, Karen spent many hours providing help and adding her artistic touches. She absolutely loved visiting and she was thrilled to see the blossoms and green fields this spring. While she was not an equestrian rider herself, seeing Shauna’s horse gave her great delight. She loved watching Shauna at competitions and she was immensely proud of Shauna’s accomplishments in the riding world.

Karen will be missed like crazy by everyone, particularly her grandchildren, Maggie and Emily, with whom she had a very special bond. Karen made sure they were a big part of her and Dougie’s life by taking them on outings, having them over to help bake, taking them swimming or just going out for a stroll with her, Molly, and Joey. Her kindness, strength and artistic talents live on through them and she has played a large part in the strong, intelligent, confident young women they have become.

The world is missing a very special person today but Heaven has gained another Angel.

Karen’s family would like to extend sincere thanks to the incredible nurses and doctors of the Nova Scotia Cancer Center, the Windsor Palliative Care team, VON, Continuing Care and EHS staff.

The family would also like to send a special thank you to the doctors, nurses, social worker and support staff at the Halifax Hospice. Karen was there a very short time, but the incredible staff made her last days comfortable and special which allowed her family to spend quality time with her in her final days.

There will be a Celebration of Life service for Karen at St. Ignatius Parish on the Bedford Highway on Wednesday, June 30 at 10:00 AM.

Sadly, due to Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings, the service will be by invitation only. However, St. Ignatius Parish will live stream the service on their website: www.saintignatius.ca

At a later date when family and friends can gather in larger numbers, there will be a gathering to honor Karen and share stories about her and how she influenced our lives. There are sure to be a few of those tales that include single malt and Scottish music. The time and place of this event will be announced later.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Halifax Hospice.