Nancy Diana Kitchen

She is survived by devoted daughters, Kelly MacFarlane (Jonathan Griffin) of Duncan, BC, and Betsy Kitchen (Maggie Molsberry) of Ottawa, as well as treasured granddaughter, Toni Wilson of Pugwash. She is also survived by step-son, Jamie Kitchen (Jill) of New Minas, step-daughter, Pam Kitchen of Windsor, and her beloved ‘big brothers’ Ian McDermaid and Peter McDermaid.

In addition to William Cross (‘Bill’) Kitchen -- Nancy’s husband and soulmate of 44 years of marriage until his passing in 2004 -- Nancy was predeceased by her eldest brother, Donald McDermaid, his wife, Thelma and recently by Ian’s wife, Judy McDermaid.

Born in Halifax, Nancy was the youngest of four children and the only daughter of Donald Kennedy Fraser McDermaid and Marjorie Ruth Dalhousie Armitage McDermaid, affectionately known as ‘Dalhsie’. Growing up on Oxford Street, Nancy received an excellent education, attending the Halifax Ladies College, Sir Charles Tupper School, Cornwallis Junior High School, Queen Elizabeth High School and Dalhousie University.

Upon graduation from the Victoria General School of Radiological Technicians, Nancy accepted a position as an x-ray technician at Wellesley Hospital in Toronto. She later returned to Halifax where she was swept off her feet by Bill, a dashing and mature renaissance man who absolutely doted on her throughout their decades together, affectionately dubbing her ‘Sweet One’.

Knowing she was blessed to lead a colourful, charmed life with kindred spirit Bill and later as part of her special loving friendship with Allan Rodger, Nancy applied a positive attitude to everything she did. She hoped to foster this outlook in others through her extensive volunteer work, as well as her passion for the arts, theatre, sports and physical activity.

Her community involvement began as a member of the Junior League of Halifax, where she held several Board positions behind the scenes. Always game to put the ‘fun’ in fundraising, Nancy even took to the stage for the infamous Follies, singing and dancing in acts with friends. Her daughters blame the Follies for giving Nancy the idea to try a tap routine next. Despite months of painstaking practice on the hardwood kitchen floor (with every accidentally syncopated tippety-tap clearly transmitted to the girls’ bedrooms below), it was clear that Nancy was accomplished in many things, but tap dancing was not one of them!

Undeterred, Nancy went on to devote her time, heart and seemingly boundless energy to the former IWK Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, serving as Convener of its popular annual Kermesse. Nancy’s volunteer ventures included the Gorsebrook Junior High Parents Association, the Atlantic Symphony, and canvassing for deserving charities like the Canadian Cancer Society. Nancy was also founding President of the Citadel Investment Club, a diverse group of pals who pool intellect and instinct to back profitable ventures. We knew never to get between Mom and the TV when it was time for the 6pm Business Report so she could follow the markets!

An avid art collector with a keen eye for emerging local talent, Nancy was a Life Member of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) where she raised funds and worked many years at the Art Sales & Rental Gallery. After Bill’s death, her love of art history led her abroad every April to many of Europe’s most famous and exclusive galleries on AGNS Art Tours, and later with select groups of congenial travelers who shared Nancy’s other passion, music. Some of Nancy’s fondest memories were those of raising a glass with friends old and new on these annual spring sojourns across the Pond.

The ultimate hostess, Nancy loved to entertain, making dinner parties for 30 people look easy. Dessert often coincided with one of her famous party games, resulting in raucous laughter and drawing even the shyest guest out of their shell to join in the fun.

She was a consummate gourmet cook, a voracious reader, and a successful gardener. Standing nearly six feet tall, Nancy was also a willowy clotheshorse with an exquisite sense of style and taste, her extensive wardrobe punctuated by her favourite colour, fuchsia.

A member of the Waegwoltic Club for many years, Nancy was even an accomplished tennis player, at one time among Canada’s top 10 ‘Mother-and-Daughter’ Tennis Teams with her youngest child, Betsy. Always keen to be part of the action, she mingled with the top women pros as Chair of the ball boys and girls when Halifax hosted the Canadian Open World Under-21 Tennis Championships.

Nancy also enjoyed golf as a member of both the Ashburn & Chester Golf Clubs and served as Recording Secretary of the Atlantic Senior Ladies Golf Association. During the warmer months she divided her time between Halifax and Marriott’s Cove, where she and Bill jointly designed their beautiful oceanfront retreat, Seagull Cottage.

A Life Member of the Wentworth Valley Ski Club, Nancy was an avid downhill skier with Bill and the girls, enjoying many March Breaks at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine and the Austrian Alps on occasion. Nancy was a long-time member of The Halifax Curling Club and served as President of the Halifax Ladies Curling Club. She enjoyed the camaraderie of the members and got a kick out of competing and travelling with her teammates.

Nancy was also a member and former President of the Senior Ladies International Curling Club (SLICC), a spirited group that meets annually at Montebello, Quebec. SLICC involved friendly bonspiel competition on the icy sheets by day, with lively dinners, songs and skits by night. All in good fun except for the year she decided to ‘warm up’ by trying her hand at hockey, only to take a spill that resulted in a fractured pelvis! Nancy was more concerned that she’d let down her pals than she was by the pain.

Throughout her very vibrant life, Nancy made an extraordinary number of dear friends. She was the first person on the doorstep with soup if someone was sick, and the last person to expect these gestures for herself. In fact, despite the mounting pain just days before her death, Nancy was still handwriting thank-you notes to the many friends who had kindly given her food, flowers and favours to support her during her illness.

In so many ways, both large and small, Nancy taught us all how to be a good person, just by being herself.

The family would like to thank Nancy’s incredibly supportive G.P., Dr. Maryse Lalonde, as well as Dr. Stephanie Scott and the wonderful nursing staff of the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s Gynaecology-Oncology Care ward, for their expertise and kindness during Nancy’s final days.

There will be a service in memory of Nancy at the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax on Saturday, March 25 at 2p.m. with reception to follow in the Cathedral’s Grand Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute (www.bhcri.ca) in Nancy’s memory to support research, education, prevention and treatment of gynecological cancer in women and girls.