Mary Louise Benjamin Coady (Gillis), Trenton, Nova Scotia, July 18, 1947 – September 20, 2025.
Mary was the third child and eldest surviving daughter of a large Gillis family. She was born at the old Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow and raised in New Glasgow’s North End where she could be found skipping rope with her friends so often they would "wear out the sidewalk" or skating on any patch of ice they could find in the neighborhood. She attended St John’s Catholic School where she began to build her large group of friends. The Gillis family later relocated to Trenton where Mary spent much of the rest of her life. Courtesy of her friend Elaine, she found love at a young age and married Allister Benjamin at Christ the King Church in Trenton on October 15, 1966 and together they raised their four children surrounded by family and her close-knit group of lifelong friends. Circumstances saw the family relocate to Ontario in 1982, but the call home was a strong one and they returned to Pictou County permanently in 1989. Mary lost Allister to illness in 1992.
She found happiness and companionship again, marrying Ken Coady and adding Ken's family to hers on September 3, 1994. Together she and Ken built a home and had 31 years together as doting parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.
Not only was Mary's love and affection bestowed upon her family, it extended to her many close friends who often made her laugh until she cried, whether at her regular card club, in the aisles of a department store, or simply in a telephone conversation.
Her work life was both in and outside the home. In addition to the tireless effort of raising four children, throughout her life she held various jobs outside the home and never seemed to work anywhere that she didn't collect another close friend. In her later years, with her children grown, Mary may have found her true calling as she devoted herself to caring for the elderly in their homes. She loved each and every one of the clients like they were family, laughing and crying, and attending to their needs to assist them in living with love and dignity to their final days.
That love and caring that was put out into the world was returned to her by friends, family and wonderful staff as she was cared for and finally passed in the Palliative Care Unit at the Aberdeen Hospital on September 20, 2025, surrounded by family after her brave and graceful battle with cancer.
Mary lived a life of faith and family embracing her children and grandchildren who were her unending source of love and pride. She always celebrated the good and stood strong in the face of struggle to the very end.
She was predeceased by her parents, Dan & Helen (MacKenzie) Gillis; her first husband and father of her children, Allister Benjamin. She was also predeceased by her siblings, Donnie, John, Bill, Liz, as well as Katherine and Peter, both of whom died in infancy and her brothers-in-law, Harry & Elton Benjamin.
Mary leaves behind a legacy of family and friends. She is survived by her husband, Ken Coady; her children: David, New Glasgow; Kevin (Beth), Parrsboro; Tracy, Stellarton; and Steven (Sheri), Dartmouth; her grandchildren: Freyja, Mikaela, Haley, Ethan, Seth, Jack and Brooke; also her added family, Ken's children: Shauna Crosby (George), Salt Springs and grandchildren Kaitlyn, Logan and Evan; Brian Coady (Pepper), Salt Springs and grandson, Zack. Mary and Ken were both fortunate enough to welcome great-grandchildren, Lukas, Avery and Lettie.
She is additionally survived by her siblings: Yvonne, Janice, Blaise (Jan), Joan, Paula, and Danny (Carrie); her sisters-in-law: Emily and Kathy, as well as her brothers-in-law: Harvey Ryan, Wyman (Helen) Benjamin, Rod (Linda) Benjamin, Carl (Simone) Coady and Jimmy (Adrianna) Coady; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
Visitation will take place on Wednesday, September 24th between 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at R.H. Porter Funeral Home, 55 Almont Ave., New Glasgow. Funeral mass will be held at St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, New Glasgow on Thursday, September 25th with Family Remarks at 10:45am and Mass immediately following at 11:00am. The family invites you to a reception downstairs in the Church Hall following Mass. Interment will be at Christ the King Cemetery in Trenton. Donations in her memory may be made to the Pictou County Palliative Care Society.