Her family is sad to share that Robena Claire MacDonnell, 94, passed away Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Halifax. Claire was born on March 21, 1930, and raised in Ohio, Antigonish County, by her parents, Jennie (McDonald) Chisholm and Donald William Chisholm. At 15, she left the family farm to move to New Glasgow, Pictou County, to complete Grade 11 at St. John’s Academy. The next year she began teaching at the Academy and did so for four years, attending Normal College in Truro each summer.
Claire had aspirations to be a nurse and was accepted at St. Martha’s Hospital School of Nursing in Antigonish. However, those plans changed after she met an eligible young lawyer from nearby Fraser’s Mountain. After a two-year courtship, she married Hugh MacDonnell in 1950. Her attention turned to family life and the first of their nine children was born in April 1951.
Mom was a wonderful cook whose turkey dinners, homemade rolls, oatcakes and so much more fed countless family and friends - there was always room for another place at the table, whether at home in New Glasgow or the family cottage at Chance Harbour. Our big house on High Street was also a place for many overnight guests, including impromptu sleepovers and billets from far and wide - our parents wanted to know our friends and believed we were safer hanging out at home than getting into shenanigans elsewhere. Lord knows how much sleep it cost them, but they never complained.
Claire and Hugh hosted many games of bridge, dinners and cocktail parties, which taught us the fine art of welcoming one and all. Many problems were solved and jokes, laughs and antics shared around their big, homey dining room table. An annual trip to the Battle of Culloden Memorial Cairn at Knoydart, Antigonish County, to honour their Highland heritage was conceived among their closest friends at that table. The tradition of raising a glass to Bonnie Prince Charlie continued every April for close to three decades, even as their circle diminished over time.
Mom showed us the importance of having friends and being one, celebrating the good things in life and sharing its sorrows. It would be impossible to count the number of times she brought comfort to someone’s home in the form of a baked ham or her delicious biscuits; or how often we would arrive home to find a stranger in our kitchen, having a cup of tea and homemade soup after mistaking our house for the priest’s residence just a block away.
While raising her six daughters and three sons, Claire did not shy away from community involvement. She was a life member of the Catholic Women’s League and took on roles that included being president of the St. John the Baptist Parish Council, president of the Diocesan Council, and treasurer of the Provincial Council. In addition, she was a member of New Glasgow’s Local Council of Women, served on the board of the Pictou County Co-op, and was a board member of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. For 34 years she delivered food to homebound people through the Meals on Wheels program, a role she continued until the age of 84. She lived her belief that striving for a fair and just world for all families was as important as the immediate needs of her own.
Mom taught us to live active lives. She walked daily, learned to downhill ski at Keppoch rather than simply drive her children there, and at the age of 61 took up golf and enjoyed playing the greens at the Abercrombie Country Club. In winter, she cross-country skied over those same snowy acres. At 82 she gave us a scare when she needed a pacemaker to regulate her heart - something we never expected because none of us could keep up with the pace she set.
We would be negligent to forget what a stylish woman Mom was. On her 83rd birthday she shared a runway with three Olympic medalists and other notable Canadian women as a Model of Health for the Heart and Stroke Foundation during Toronto Fashion Week. A child of the Great Depression, she found incredible bargains on the high-quality clothing she wore so elegantly and the gifts she stockpiled year-round, ready for every occasion.
Claire and Hugh had a love for travel and visited many destinations in Europe and North America as well as Peru and taking us on adventures over the years. Hugh’s death in 1997, while breaking her heart, began a new chapter for Mom. She realized she needed to say yes to new experiences and accept invitations rather than be at home alone. She continued to travel, including seven trips to Australia where her youngest son lives with his family. The loss of her oldest son to bipolar disorder in 2003, although a crippling blow, saw her learn about mental illness and the stigma surrounding it, and then share what she learned with the organizations she supported.
Mom’s final move was leaving New Glasgow in 2020 to take up residence at Parkland at the Gardens, Halifax, until her peaceful death. The family would like to thank the staff at Parkland for the kind, respectful and gentle care they provided, particularly over her final days. It was clear she was a valued member of the 2nd floor community.
Surviving are her children: Joan (Steve Dunsiger), New Glasgow; Mary-Claire (John MacMillan), Halifax; Anita (Rick Erickson), Banff; Janice (Algis Grajauskas), Calgary; Helen (Bernie Miller), Halifax; John (Sherri MacDonald), Halifax; Philip (Carolyn Morey), South Durras, Australia; 15 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Helen (Floyd) Chisholm, Antigonish, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, The Honourable Justice Hugh J. MacDonnell; son Duncan; daughter Theresa Anne Hannaford; three sisters: Catherine Walsh, Anne Messer and Anita Campbell; and brother John.
Mom understood the importance of family, the power of prayer and the beauty of giving. She demonstrated that contributing to community, accepting change gracefully and living life fully leads to a rich, satisfying life - one worthy of emulating. She led with her heart and will be forever missed.
Cremation has taken place and a visitation will take place from 4-7 pm on Friday, Aug. 23, at the R.H. Porter Funeral Home, 55 Almont Ave., New Glasgow. The funeral service will be held at 11 am, Saturday, Aug. 24, at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, New Glasgow, with a reception in the church hall. There will be a joint burial at 1 p.m. for the remains of Claire and her daughter, Theresa Anne, who passed away June 28, 2023, in Calgary.
Donations in Claire’s memory may be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association or your local food bank
