Obituary of Jean F. MacLeod

MacLeod, Jean Francis It is with sorrow that we announce the passing of Jean MacLeod on March 31, 2018 in her 93rd year at Ivey’s Terrace Nursing Home in Trenton, Nova Scotia with family by her side. Jean was born May 21, 1924 in Eureka, Pictou County, to the late Wilfred and Wilena (Scott) Ward. Jean is survived by her sister, Noreen Hudson, and sister-in-law, Alice (late Clarence) Nelson. She is predeceased by her siblings, Wilbert and Leslie. Jean was the loving wife of the late John T. MacLeod. John T. and Jean had 62 wonderful years of marriage, spending most of their lives together at their home on Maple Avenue in New Glasgow. Together they raised five children: the late Jim (Ruth) MacLeod, Bev (Henry) Salomons, John (Bev) MacLeod, the late Debbie (Cliff) McLeod and Shirley (Michael) Rushton. Jean was the beloved grandmother to 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Jean lived a rich and full life. She was a pillar of her community in New Glasgow and pursued countless interests. Jean was fascinated by genealogy and became involved in the Pictou County Roots Society, where she traced the Leslie family tree back hundreds of years. A dedicated servant of God, she was a member of Trinity United Church and their United Church Women’s group for over 60 years. In the summer months, she could often be found tending to her garden alongside John T. She was an active member of the New Glasgow Horticultural Society and was always looking to capture the perfect picture of wild flowers or mushrooms, reflective of her love for photography. In the winter months, Jean and John T. would cross-country ski at the Abercrombie Country Club. Jean was a founding member of the Heather Figure Skating club and also supervised skating on a homemade rink in her own backyard. Jean looked forward to the Christmas season every year when she would make wreaths and cookies at MacLeod’s Christmas tree farm in Millstream. A generous and creative soul, Jean was constantly crafting and baking. We are all blessed with countless dolls, quilts, knitted mittens and sweaters, toys and Christmas ornaments to remember her by. Well-known for her baking talents, Jean was proud when one of her recipes was published by Canadian Living magazine. When family members were visiting, Jean always took the time to bake each of their favourite dishes. Her grandchildren always looked forward to visiting their nanny and enjoying her homemade strawberry shortcake with fresh berries from the garden. Jean was the beloved matriarch of our family and will be deeply missed. We are all fortunate to have our many memories of her that we will treasure for a lifetime. We are deeply grateful to Mary Jane MacKenzie for all of the love and care that she provided to Jean over the years. Sincere thanks to Heather Wyatt, Carol MacNutt, Maria Wodras, Margaret Greenlaw, Marion MacKay and Jodie MacPherson for their companionship and compassion towards Jean. Special thanks to the entire staff at Ivey’s Terrace Nursing Home for making Jean’s last days comfortable and peaceful. The family will receive visitors at H.W. Angus Funeral Home, 256 King St., New Glasgow, on Sunday, April 1st from 7-9 pm. The funeral service will be held at H.W. Angus Funeral Home on Monday, April 2nd at 11 am. A reception will follow at the funeral home. Burial will be at Heatherdale Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to either the Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia or the Canadian Cancer Society