MARY LOUISE (HILLIS) O'NEILL

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MARY LOUISE (HILLIS) O'NEILL April 7, 1923 November 29, 2017 Mary passed away peacefully at the age of 94, at Seven Oaks General Hospital. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 71 years, Robert, and her children, Lil (Harold) Stewart; Henry (Diana) O'Neill; Shirley (Chris) Capper; Beverly O'Neill; Mary O'Neill; Barry (Carolyn) O'Neill; grandchildren, Shawn and Curtis, Shannon and Ryan, Christie-Leigh, Ainsley and Austin; 12 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Mary was born to Thomas Arthur and Edith Annie Hillis on April 7, 1923. She was raised on the family farm near Pratt, MB, and received her education locally in a one-room schoolhouse. During the Second World War, she worked at Southport Aerodrome. She met Robert after his return from the war, and they married on December 22, 1945. They lived on a farm in the Pratt area before moving into MacGregor in 1950. They moved to a new home in Winnipeg in 1966. In 2013, Mary and Robert relocated to the River Ridge Retirement Centre. Mom was very hospitable, entertaining and providing meals for numerous guests over the years. She was active in her church, teaching Sunday school and involved in the Women's Missionary Council. She was a huge support to Dad in his ministry at various churches and to the Aboriginal people. She was enterprising and had been a representative for Avon, Fashion Frocks and Regal Distributors. Mary was a devoted mother and wife. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, knitting, sewing and handcrafts. Playing Scrabble or Yahtzee was also a favourite pastime. She loved to read and had memorized poems as a child that she could still recite years later. Mom and Dad loved to travel, which usually meant getting to visit with relatives across the country. They also took a couple of trips to England. Mom loved to share a joke and she had many sayings like, "It's either a feast or a famine". She was a very gracious person who cared and sacrificed for her family. She welcomed sons and daughters-in-law into the family and they too became "her kids". She made sure the grandchildren left her house with Smarties or a Coffee Crisp, and we rarely left without being offered treats or little gifts. She loved all of us deeply. She will always be in our thoughts and hearts, and we will miss her every day. A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at Cross Church, 1787 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg. Refreshments and a time to visit with family will follow. For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit www.chapellawn.ca Chapel Lawn Funeral Home 204-885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 02, 2017