Obituary of Mary Brown Philippe

It is with profound sadness the family announces the passing of Mary Brown (Davis) Philippe, which occurred on Friday, April 26, 2019 at Saint John, New Brunswick. Born in Glasgow, Scotland on September 22, 1937 she was a daughter of the late Alexander and Agnes (Bradford) Davis.

She is survived by one son, Michael Philippe of Waterloo, ON; daughter-in-law, Lynn Philippe of Saint John, NB; three sisters, Joan (Bob) Scutchings of England, Sadie (Ray) Burrows of England and Margaret (Jack) Cubbin of England; one grandson, Davis Philippe; several niece and nephews. Besides her parents she was predeceased by one son, John Philippe; two brothers, Jim Davis and Allastair Davis; sister-in-law, Aldea Philippe.

Mary was born in a small village in Stirlingshire, Scotland; the eldest of 6 children. As a young woman, she attended Glasgow Royal Infirmary to train as a registered nurse. This was followed by training in midwifery at the Eastern District Hospital in Glasgow. After completing her education, she moved to North Bay, Ontario, Canada to begin her career as a nurse in the Emergency Department of North Bay Civic Hospital. During this time she met her husband, Roland, and two treasured sons, Michael and John, would follow. After reaching a senior position in Emergency, Mary's career in nursing would evolve, leading her to manage the Home Care Program in North Bay for nearly a decade. After a successful period in this role, Mary would make another career transition to Nursing Coordinator for the North Bay Psychiatric Hospital, a role she would serve in through to retirement. Mary considered herself privileged to have a professional life lasting 40 years. To know the satisfaction and enrichment of living a life engaged in worthwhile pursuits, enjoying a sense of accomplishment, and measuring a lifetime, not by years, but by the store of treasured memories and an overarching sense of contentment. In retirement, Mary's passion for caring would continue, with her volunteer work focused in the areas of palliative care, mental health and child evangelism.

Mary is best remembered as a caring daughter, devoted sister, strong and loving mother, and doting aunt and grandmother. Mary was also known for her unrelenting faith in her Lord, Jesus Christ, having a servant's heart and living a life pleasing to her Saviour. Faith was paramount to Mary and extended to all aspects of her life. Mary's character was largely one of fortitude, humility, caring, loyalty, and unwavering faith. And one could list among the many roles she played in her life: encourager, devoted friend, leader, passionate nurse, mental health advocate, and prayer soldier. She loved cooking, reading, gardening, was highly skilled with knitting needles and sewing machines, and enjoyed immersing herself in scrapbooking projects. And with her two sons, shared a passion for sports.

Mary's passing will be deeply felt by all of her community of family and friends, but we take comfort in the knowledge she is at peace, and rejoice that we will one day be reunited - "Gus am bi sinn a 'coinneachadh a-rithist" [Until we meet again] (traditional Scottish Gaelic farewell blessing).

To honour Mary's request there will be no visitation. A celebration of Mary's life will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at Forest Hills Baptist Church at 11:00 am. If desired, donations in Mary's memory can be made to Bobby's Hospice or to Gideon International (Canada). Arrangements are under the care of Brenan's Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, NB (506-634-7424). Online condolences may be placed at www.BrenansFH.com.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121.