SHEILA MARY MACDONALD

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

SHEILA MARY MACDONALD Sheila Mary MacDonald (née Wallace) died peacefully, with her family around her at Canterbury Gardens in Peterborough, Ontario on October 31, 2018, at the age of 88. Sheila is survived by her husband, Don, and daughters, Mary Blair (Greg) of Peterborough, ON and Lynda Keith (Drew) of Stouffville, ON; and grandchildren, Jessie, Laura, William, and Elizabeth. Sheila is also survived by sister-in-law Doreen Wallace of Surrey, BC and many wonderful nieces, nephews, and cousins in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Sheila is predeceased by her father Richard (Dick) Wallace and mother Jessie Wallace Halstead, her stepfather Percy Halstead, and brother Gordon Wallace. Sheila was born on October 14, 1930 in Edmonton, AB. In 1931, her family moved to Winnipeg, (Charleswood), MB. Sheila graduated from Chapman High School in 1947 and continued her education to become a secretary/stenographer, later working for the Timothy Eaton Company. She became the Canadian president of the women's business sorority, Alpha lota, and was a very active member of the Winnipeg Canoe Club. Sheila was also an accomplished pianist and equestrian. Sheila and Don MacDonald were married on August 25, 1960. They honeymooned east to Ontario, where she became Secretary to the VP of Finance for Eaton's in Toronto. Sheila and Don bought their first home in Lorne Park, ON. Following business interests, the family moved to Burlington, ON; Deep River, ON; Grand Falls, NL; Prince Edward County, ON; and landing in Grimsby, ON, where they remained for 32 years until moving to Peterborough in 2015. Sheila's love and dedication to her family, her friends, and her husband were unsurpassed. Through all the moves, Sheila was right by Don's side, raising their children and assisting wherever she could in the running of the businesses. Sheila's smiling demeanor and fun-loving personality carried her through two battles with breast cancer; she always supported those encountering the same battle. "Welcome to the club!" she would say encouragingly when discovering a friend or a new acquaintance going through the same struggle. Sheila was a committed volunteer in whatever town she was living. While in Grimsby, she volunteered with West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, the Rotary Club of Grimsby, and Trinity United Church. She was also an avid golfer and bridge player. The family would like to thank the incredible staff at Canterbury Gardens for their service, love, and support that they gave Sheila while at Canterbury. Sheila/Mom/Gramma, we love you and will miss you terribly, but we know you are in heaven "smiling" down on all of us with the family and friends that have gone before you. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at Ashburnham Funeral Home, 840 Armour Road, Peterborough, ON. Visitation at 1:00 p.m., service at 2:00 p.m., and reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to www.treecanada.ca, or your local food bank.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 03, 2018