Bernardine “Bunny” Nelligan passed away September 13, 2020 at the age of 92. Born in 1928 to Bernard Barry and Teresa Barry (nee Keogh), Bunny grew up on a farm outside of Colgan, Ontario where she developed a pragmatism she practiced the rest of her life. During her teenage years the family relocated to Hamilton and Bunny enrolled at Cathedral High School winning the Bishop’s medal.
Bunny continued her studies at St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing winning the General Proficiency Prize in 1948. Receiving a scholarship, she pursued further courses at the University of Toronto. On her return to St. Joseph’s she specialized in surgery and by age twenty-seven she was promoted to Head RN of the Operating Room.
She met B. Edmund “Ed” Nelligan at a meeting of the Hamilton Newman Club. They married in 1955 and moved into an apartment in Peterborough, Ontario. Their family quickly outgrew the apartment, and later a bungalow. Bunny and Ed eventually purchased a larger house in town and a cottage on Mississauga Lake to house their many (many) children. Finally, in 1965 Bunny and Ed settled in Toronto after Ed was appointed the first Director of Education at the MSSB (now the Toronto Catholic District School Board). They bought a big white house on Cassandra Boulevard with an apple tree in the backyard, where all nine children grew up.
Bunny and Ed spent each summer up at the lake with their children. The cottage was always full of friends and extended family. Bunny taught everyone from her beach to Buckhorn how to waterski and could often be found running enthusiastically to the water to help her latest student. She completed her final waterski sometime in her mid 50s despite recently recovering from a fractured vertebra.
A devoted mother of five girls and four boys, Bunny became a logistical expert running a household, that was more akin to a small army. Her pragmatism and efficiency shone as she became caregiver, chef, chauffer, financial manager, chief operating officer, historian and counsellor of the household. She was as dedicated to her extended family and was often a source of advice and comfort for in laws, nieces, and nephews. The entire extended family, now over 800 people, still meets every five years at the Keogh 500 family reunion.
Bunny was a life-long student, completing several courses in theology at the St. Michael’s College at University of Toronto, while raising nine children. Her medical expertise carried the family through many broken bones, scraped knees, and stomach flus. She was a voracious reader, fierce bridge player, gifted piano player, and the family’s vault for memories and stories. She instilled her love of reading, persistent curiosity, and her many musical talents in her children and grandchildren. And she could always be counted on for a book recommendation or the answer to a tricky crossword clue.
Bunny was also deeply committed to her faith. She was an active member of all her parishes including her final place of worship, Annunciation of the Blessed Mary Church. Over the years she was a lector, a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and an extraordinary minister of the Holy Communion, actively involved in pastoral care. More importantly, she never missed an opportunity for a “short” St. Christopher’s prayer at the beginning of each car trip.
Before his death Ed commented, “Bunny has been my source of strength and courage in all our life’s struggles. She is a living model of the practice of our faith as well as a reservoir of love and hope for me and our children. I cannot conceive of life without her. I know that death ends a marriage, but I know I will find it terribly hard to say that final goodbye when the time comes.”
She spent her last summer up at the cottage relying on her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to serve her a very dry (just a hint of vermouth) martini at six p.m.
She is predeceased by her husband of 48 years, Ed, and by her brother Sylvester. She is survived by six siblings: Dr. John Barry (Jean), Sr. Cecelia Barry, Paul Barry (Linda), Theresa Duffy (Patrick, deceased), Dr. Michael Barry (Huguette, deceased), and Bernard Barry (Inés); her nine children: Celia (Mike McLeod), Bernardine (Dennis Swanek), Margaret (David Quail), Eileen (Bart Calderone), John (Mary Anne Covelli), Edmund, Mark (Maureen Gray), Brian, and Kathleen (Bob Gunther); her twenty-seven grandchildren: Jacob, Regan, Lucas, & Simon McLeod; Justine, Neil, Lauren, Grace & Michael Swanek; Emily, Liza & Jack Quail; Margaret (Jesse Seward), Teresa, Catherine (Vince Carbone), Peter, & Paul Calderone; Kathleen & Clare Nelligan; Christopher & Meaghan Nelligan; Sarah (Ben Witcher), Abbey (Andrew Wood) & Zoey Embry; Neva, Milo & Willa Gunther; and her eight great-grandchildren: Cole Watson; Ellie, Thomas & Matthew Seward; Jacob & Noah Carbone; Emma Wood; and Ellis Witcher.
She will also be missed by her sisters in law, Margaret Parks and Patricia Forani, her many nieces and nephews and their families.
Due to Covid-19 there will be a private family visitation and funeral. The funeral will be broadcast on livestream (https://youtu.be/TTE60vy_njA) at 10am Monday September 21, 2020. Interment at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Burlington to follow. If friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Good Shepherd Ministries.
