Merigomish, NS, lost a pillar of their community on Monday. Doris Joan MacKenzie passed away on July 31st at the QE II Hospital in Halifax surrounded by her family, on her 85th birthday.
Born and raised in Merigomish, Doris spent several years living in Ottawa, Toronto, and Halifax, returning to her ancestral home twenty five years ago. She was predeceased by her mother, Greta (née MacLean) and her father, John Cameron, her sisters, Dorothy Pike and Gloria Munro, her nephew, Byron Pike and survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Bob, her daughters, Nancy (D’Arcy Mayer) and Heather, her granddaughters MacKenzie and Cameron Mayer and her long-time companion, fifteen year old yorkie poo, Sam.
Doris lived a life one could only dream of. She was proud without pretence. She saw and brought out the good in everyone she encountered. She was an adventurous world traveller who had visited all four corners of the globe. Whether partying on a cruise ship with Oprah or walking across the PEI bridge, dodging gun fire in Israel, petting koalas in Australia, riding on camelback at the Egyptian pyramids, stealing the show at the Much Music Awards, dancing in a New York night club, riding elephants in Africa, helping out at the community breakfast, bringing her grandchildren to Disney World, climbing the Great Wall of China, singing in the church choir, visiting art galleries in a multitude of European cities, hosting Boxing Day family get togethers or dancing in the streets of Soweto, delivering turkey dinners to friends, doing a polar bear swim, visiting the Kremlin in Moscow, swimming on Big Island beach, she was always up for anything, wearing the most beautiful outfits, smiling at everyone she would encounter. A life-long teetotaler, she was well known to love a good party, to dance, laugh, and be the last to leave. She would light up a room with her infectious smile and charming personality. As a long-time member and manager of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, she was one of its strongest advocates and supporter. To have met her was to have loved her.
Visitation will be at R.H. Porter Funeral Home, 55 Almont Ave., New Glasgow on Monday Aug. 7th, from 6-8pm. A service and celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, August 8th at 11am at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Merigomish, followed by a luncheon at the Merigomish school house.
She loved flowers, however donations to St. Paul’s Cemetery Merigomish are encouraged.
Her family would like to thank all the staff at the QE 2 hospital and all the staff at Parkland at the Gardens, and everyone at the VON in Merigomish and Halifax.