Daphne Eunice Carver

Died peacefully on October 14, 2017, at the Halifax Infirmary, surrounded by her loving family. Born in 1933 at Maidenhead in the south of England, Daphne was the daughter of Leonard and Rhoda (Rolfe) Ash. She was the beloved wife of Dr. John B. Carver.

After graduation from the Kendrick Girls Grammar School in Reading, Daphne trained in London, in nursing at the Mildmay Mission Hospital, Bethnal Green, and at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, and then in midwifery at the Beckingham Maternity Hospital and with the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine in Deptford.

Following a year of studies in Pastoral Theology with the Church Missionary Society, in 1957, Daphne and John were married in India. They spent three years in a small village hospital near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, where their daughter Claire was born. These were happy, rewarding years, and always a source of sustaining memories for Daphne. In 1960, the family returned to England, where their son Daniel was born. In 1962, John and Daphne emigrated with their children to Nova Scotia. Two sons, Jonathan and Paul, were born in Halifax.

Daphne graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University in 1980 and continued with Clinical Pastoral Education and theological studies at the Atlantic School of Theology. In 1982, the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia appointed her as a hospital chaplain. She served for eighteen years at the Victoria General Hospital and the Halifax Infirmary, always with a special concern for palliative care.

In retirement, Daphne volunteered with the Victorian Order of Nurses, working on the Seniors’ Information Line and on various committees engaged in introducing supportive community programs for the elderly.

Daphne was predeceased by her beloved husband, John, brothers, Raymond and John, and brother-in-law, John King. She is survived by her four children, Claire (Brian), Daniel (Pamela), Jonathan (Teresa), Paul (Shauna), all in Halifax; and by seven wonderful grandchildren: Julia and Katrina; Sophie, Mairi, and Ian; Samuel and Benjamin.

Daphne’s interests were many and varied. In her youth, she excelled in field hockey. Throughout her life, she took great pleasure in gardening. She thrived on hiking (not easily deterred by weather or terrain), and gloried in the natural world around her. She was an avid reader and was sustained by music. Her faith, family and friends were her greatest joy.

Pastoral care was not only Daphne’s profession, but her natural inclination. She was an engaged member of St. John’s Anglican Church where, to the end, she was seen circulating among her fellow parishioners, greeting and quietly listening attentively. She was a person of deep faith, and her guiding principle was to always do “whatever is the most loving thing.” Daphne touched the lives of all who met her, and will be sorely missed.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 18th, 2017 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax. A service to celebrate Daphne’s life will be held on Thursday, October 19th, at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church, 2187 Larry Uteck Boulevard, Bedford, N.S.

Donations in Daphne’s memory can be made to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund or to the V.O.N. of Greater Halifax, or to a charity of choice.