Obituary of Coleen Gwendolyn MacDonald

It is with heavy hearts and overwhelming sadness that we announce the passing of Coleen Gwendolyn (MacNeil) MacDonald, 74 of Belmont Street, Stellarton, formerly of Hillside. Coleen passed away peacefully at the Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow on Monday April 20th, 2020. Born on February 18, 1946 in Stellarton, she was the daughter of the late Michael & Elizabeth (Taylor) MacNeil. Sister to Allison (Lorraine) and Jane MacNeil. She was a loving wife to Allister and a wonderful mother to Michael, Samantha and Mary-Beth ( Stefan). She was the world’s greatest Nana to Hayley (Evan), Domenic, Caden, Keiran and Brighton as well as her great grandchildren Alexis, Easton and Cashton. Coleen was a dedicated nurse. She graduated from the Aberdeen School of Nursing in 1968. She began her nursing career at the Aberdeen Hospital, being part of the team that opened the ICU. She finished her career at the Shiretown Nursing home in Pictou where she formed many bonds with residents and staff. She maintained strong friendships with several of her nursing classmates and enjoyed attending the Alumni dinners with them each year. Coleen was a person of tremendous integrity and had a very strong faith. She was very active in the Trenton Church of the Nazarene and held a variety of leadership roles. Coleen took great pleasure in music after being raised in a musical home and passed that love on to her children. She was a member of many choirs and loved to sing with her friends in Joyful Noise. She had a lifelong love of books and writing. She enjoyed studying the bible weekly, with a group of dear friends. She was a strong supporter of our local libraries and became a LAUBACH literacy volunteer. Coleen and Allister loved to travel throughout Canada. Having grown up in an Air Force family, she was exposed to the beauty each region provided. She lived in Gimli, Manitoba, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Trenton, Ontario, and Summerside, PEI. Coleen enjoyed accompanying Allister to municipal conferences where they were able to visit other parts of Canada. They enjoyed spending time each year in Bowmanville , Ontario with their Daughter and made many friends in the area. Coleen loved to camp and she and Allister spent summers in many provincial parks in their Boler trailer. They enjoyed their role of campground host and loved meeting people from all over the world. Coleen was kind. Her warmth was contagious and she made people feel instantly comfortable with her calm demeanor. She never hesitated to offer assistance in any medical situation and was often called on by neighbors to check on a sick child, or an elderly person who was unwell. She spent her life offering care to her patients, her family, and especially her parents in their final years. Arrangements have been made through H.W Angus Funeral Home, 256 King Street, New Glasgow. A private family burial will take place at the Hillside Cemetery on Friday. A celebration on life service will be held at a later date. The family would like to extend their gratitude to the numerous health care professionals associated with the Aberdeen Hospital, VON Home Support, Sutherland Harris Hospital and St. Marthas who were excellent at providing care and support. Donations can be made to the Canadian Bible Society, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada or a charity of your choice. "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".