My Mom

At 1:25 a.m., this morning, my Mom died as I held her hand and stroked her forehead. It was a beautiful moment that concluded a life of giving, and for me a life of receiving.

My Dad wrote a memorial tribute which will appear in our local newspaper. I'm posting it as today's blog. Here's a brief history of my Mom's life....to know her was to love her.

VARTY,  DOROTHY

1927-2015

The family is deeply saddened to announce the death of Dorothy Mary Varty at Pine Grove Nursing Home on January 11, 2015.

      She is mourned by her husband, William, and her three sons Alex, Douglas and his wife Patricia, and Ian and his wife Wendy,  and her four grandchildren Julian, Franny , Kathleen and Anna.  She will be missed by her brother Alex and his two children Hilary and husband Rob, Roderick and wife Nerida, nephew Donald and great niece Lynn and their families, all resident in Scotland.  She cared deeply about other people, and found joy with her family and friends at home and abroad.

Dorothy was born in Edinburgh in Scotland to parents Alex and Gladys Gordon, lived through the war in bombed-out Glasgow, then post-war worked in a bank at Aberdeen.  She married her husband Bill in 1952, dwelling in Aberdeen, Newton Stewart and Selkirk, Scotland, where Alex and Doug were born. She loved above all being a mother with young children.  In 1958 the family immigrated to Fredericton, when Bill was offered a position as a research scientist with the Canadian Forestry Service.  She adapted quickly to life in Canada, enjoying the novelty of the friendly Canadian identity, the addition of third son Ian to the family, the amiable company of Fredericton friends, the opportunity to travel widely in Canada and overseas, and the day to day pleasures of family life and home-making in a neighbourhood of young families.  After her husband’s retirement, they moved to a waterfront retreat at Lakeville Corner for many years, before returning to Fredericton.

Her Aberdeen accent blended with the Canadian, but she loved her Scottish heritage; traditional country dancing of strathspeys and reels; the poetry of Robbie Burns, folk music with its reference to Scots history and places she knew.  She was attracted to the Canadian counterpart, the love songs of Anne Murray, the ballads of Gordon Lightfoot and all the others folk artistes; and not less to classical music performances at the Playhouse, and the family musicians at home with guitar, piano and voice.  Her interests included birdwatching and ceramics, knitting and gardening.

The family is deeply appreciative of the care and love provided by the staff of Pine Grove Nursing Home. In her residence there she was very content and sociable, loved the nurses, other staff and residents, enjoyed the daily entertainment by volunteer musicians, and the warmth and comfort of living space, not least the riverside trail through the old pine forest.  Although afflicted by Alzheimers for a decade, Dorothy retained her love and recognition of family to the end and was concerned about their welfare, kept her sense of fun with originality and one-liners, stayed strong and resilient, and relished family visitation.  Living the good life despite her disabilities.