Obituaries

HYNES, MARION JULIA, age 85, passed away so peacefully Oct. 18, 2017 in her daughters arms at the Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, NS after a very brief diagnosis of cancer.

Born Jan. 29, 1932 in Chamberlains, CBS, NL, she was the daughter of John "Jack" & Elizabeth (Chaytor) Allen. Fiercely independent & single until age 28, she was a gentle, young at heart, petite lady. Incredibly kind & generous with such a positive attitude & optimistic outlook, she showed remarkable strength & resilience to overcome adversity she faced in life. She always had a helping hand & encouraging words for anyone who was having a difficult time.

Diagnosed with cancer in 1999, she went through her treatments with a smile on her face, never complaining & leaving her doctors astonished. After being cancer free for 18 years, she was told that she had it again & it was terminal. She simply said, "guess it's my time." She quickly took care of business & spent her remaining days filled with parting words of wisdom, reminiscing & laughter but no tears.

She loved having her extended "Newfie" family & friends coming for visits. The more the merrier was her motto. Catching up on everyones lives, story telling & laughter made for a great time. She was an amazing cook & loved entertaining. No one visiting ever left the house hungry but they did usually go with a little goodie bag for a snack later or a cooler full of sandwiches for their long road trips home.

At age 14 she started working as a Ladies Maid in St. John's, NL. On Sundays, her only day off, she'd take the morning train home to visit her family in CBS, returning late in the evening to the city. After 3 years, she went to work as a Seamstress at the Whites Clothing Company for a year but when friends told her they recommended her for a Bindrey position where they worked at Trade Printers & Publishing Ltd, she happily took it. She loved it & stayed there for 10 years until she got married. When she moved to NS, she went back to work in printing at Dalhousie University, CFB Halifax, CFB Shearwater & for private companies over the years. She also worked in the Food Service for CNIB at the Dartmouth Shipyard & for the military in the wardrooms at CFB Cornwallis & CFB Halifax until her retirement in 1991.

On her 18th birthday she got her Drivers License & with her new found independence & freedom, headed straight to a car dealership & purchased her first vehicle, a Triumph Mayflower, becasue she said "what's the point of having a license if you don't have the means to use it!" She always had her own car & with much patience & laughter, taught many of her friends & family how to drive. She was still driving a few weeks before she died.

In Jan. 1960 she met Kevin, a widower with three small boys aged 1, 3 & 5. He was stationed at Pepperell AFB in St. John's & they married on Aug. 15, 1960. She absolutely loved being a mom to little boys & called them her "ready made family." Their daughter was born the next year & shortly after her birth, Kevin was posted to a ship at CFB Halifax, so she packed up the car & with her 4 little ones, headed off to NS to start her new life. Shannon Park would become home for the next 5 years & she quickly made many life long friends. A posting to CFB Cornwallis for 3 years, then back to Dartmouth where they lived for the rest of her life.

She is survived by her daughter Kimberley MacGregor (Robert) Grand Lake, NS. At the time of her death, her husband of 57 years Kevin, brother Cyril Allen, Mt. Pearl, NL, both of whom have since died. Daughter-in-law Carol, estranged stepson Stephen, his family & her 2 deceased stepsons families all of NS. Sister-in-law Sharon Allen, Mt. Pearl, NL & her brothers children, 12 very special Nieces, Nephews & families. As well as 8 brothers-in-law & 8 sisters-in-law & their families on her husbands side.

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her stepsons Kevin (aka Frank), Dean, her sister Ella, brothers Thomas, Arthur, James, George (Ann) & niece Roxanne (Wally). 7 sisters-in-law & 7 brothers-in-law on her husbands side.

Cremation took place & as she requested, her ashes will be buried back home with her family in CBS, NL at a later date, when a celebration of Mom's life will take place with those that loved her. There's sure to be a few tears, good food, lots of stories & much laughter at that gathering, just the way she'd want it to be.

Mom always said there was more than enough hate to go around in this world & being a Stepmother she unfortunately endured a share of it over the years. So if you choose to honor her memory, she asked that you show some kindness to others. A compliment, simple or small gestures are so easy to do & can have such a positive impact in someones life.

Thank you to Donald K. Walker for helping me & taking care of the arrangements for my Mother. Your kindness & compassion were such a great comfort on what was the most heartbreaking day of my life.

Mom, I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful Mother. You taught me so much in life & I've always tried to emulate the way you presented & handled yourself. Your strength & dignity are such an inspiration & I will forever be grateful for all the beautiful memories filled with love & laughter that you left me with. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for being my Mom. I am so proud & honored to be you daughter. When you left, you took a piece of my heart & replaced it with yours. I will always love & miss you…