Obituaries

It is with great sadness that we, the family of Mary Etta May Atkinson, announce her passing. Mary was only 49 when she passed away unexpectedly on Monday, February 7th, 2022 in Greenwood, Nova Scotia.

She was predeceased by her adoptive father, Reginald Atkinson and is survived by her son, who made up the entirety of her world, Justin Atkinson and his partner, Alicia Apesteguy, her mother Grace Millen, her sister and brother-in-law Amanda and Scott Flynn, nieces Grace and Lilly Flynn and the many friends whom she loved dearly.

Mary was an incredible mother. She dedicated her life to motherhood and although being a young, single mom came with its own set of challenges, she worked hard to build a fulfilling life for both her and her son.

She graduated from NSCC and for the past 15 years, worked as a continuing care assistant for The Victorian Order of Nurses - a role that truly suited her compassionate heart.

Her life was a living example of one of her favourite quotes “Love. Because when you love, you are using one of the greatest powers of the universe.” Mary cared deeply for everyone and everything in her world. Whether it was her clients, family, pets or plants, Mary treated all with genuine love and kindness.

Her home was often filled with the sound of her sweet laughter, the smell of fresh baked bread or sweets and a steady background of murder mysteries playing on the tv. Her many pets over the years were always nearby, more recently her cat Nyla, who adored Mary (and only Mary).

One of the most important things in Mary’s life was gardening; she took great pride in her flowers and plants. It takes great patience, perseverance and a love for living things to grow a garden or a beautiful flower - and this is a big part of what made Mary so special. Her desire to nurture living things and to bring peace, love and beauty to the world through her careful craft and tedious labour, was how she left her mark on those that were so fortunate to have known Mary.

May the plants that she nurtured and the love that she showed to all of us live on and be with us forever.

A service and a celebration of life will be private for immediate family and declared at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to Hope For Wildlife.