Mary Elizabeth Grady Pettipas

PETTIPAS (nee Grady), Mary Elizabeth - On Tuesday, January 25, 2011, in St. Vincent's Nursing Home, Mary Elizabeth Pettipas, 91, passed away peacefully. Elizabeth was a daughter of the late John Grady and Elizabeth Jennings. She was predeceased by her husband, Leo Pettipas; her brother, Jack and sisters, Marie (Jessen) and Christina (Dunphy). She will be missed by her sisters, Theresa (Phillips) of Niagra Falls, ON, Nell (Dalton) of Aurora, ON; her daughter, Joanne of East Chezzetcook, and her sons, Leo (Katherine) of Winnipeg; Roger of Halifax, and Archbishop Gerard Pettipas of McLennan, Alta., and many extended family members. Elizabeth was born on April 24, 1919 in Saint John, N.B. When her father accepted a job at the Halifax Shipyard, the family moved to East Chezzetcook, NS. After the early death of both her brother Jack and her mother, Elizabeth took on a roll beyond her years during the weekdays that their father worked in Halifax. During the Second World War, she married Leo, who enlisted in the RCAF after the cessation of hostilities. For many years prior to their retirement in 1968, the family lived on Air Force stations in Goose Bay, N.L., Halifax, NS, St. Sylvestre, Que., Beaverbank, NS in Portage-la-Prairie, MB. During Leo's posting at RCAF Station Southport and again in Halifax. After retirement the family moved to East Chezzetcook until after Leo's death in 1982. Elizabeth lived in several apartments in Halifax before taking up residence at St. Vincent's in 2000.

Elizabeth enjoyed her years as an airman’s wife, as it gave her the opportunity to travel and to live in different parts of the country, and to meet new people. But first and foremost, she was a devout Catholic and devoted mother who gave her all raising her four appreciative children. In recent years she enjoyed a particularly close relationship with her daughter and caregiver Joanne. In 1967 she warmly welcomed her daughter-in-law Katherine into the family circle and they became fast friends.

We want to express our deep appreciation to the staff of St. Vincent's nursing Home for the good care they gave to our mother during her time there. Thank you all so much. The family will receive visitors in Cruikshank's Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor St. Halifax from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. on Friday January 28. The funeral mass will be held in St. Genevieve's Church, East Chezzetcook at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 29. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice, or to Chalice, PO Box 2099, Springhill, NS B0M 1X0. Please visit us online at www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com