MARY ROBERTS

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MARY ROBERTS

August 24, 1930 - August 30, 2025

After celebrating her 95th birthday on August 24, Mary passed peacefully at St. Boniface Hospital on August 30 to be reunited with Richard, her loving husband of 70 years.

Mary was born in Dauphin, MB in 1930. In her early teens she moved to Sifton, MB where she worked for an entrepreneur who sold wool and spinning wheels. Mary was asked if they could use her name for the company. And Mary Maxim was born. In 2023, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada held an exhibit called The Mystery of Mary Maxim.

It’s no mystery though, as she’s been living in Winnipeg since the 1950s where she met a kindred spirit in Richard Roberts while working at the Royal Alexandra Hotel. In 1955, they were married and started a lifetime of memories together.

With the arrival of two sons, Mary became very active in their lives, always attending their activities and volunteering where needed. In the summers, they travelled to Alberta to visit family in Canmore. She loved taking family photos and no one escaped from being in a picture. One trip when they were retired, she asked Richard to let her out of the van so she could capture a scenic picture. She got out, shut the door and off he drove. Many miles later he quickly turned around. But she took it in stride and hopped back in.

Mary also had an incredible sense of humour and a great memory for jokes. She loved to laugh and that is probably why she lived well for so long. She kept her memory sharp by writing everything down.

After the boys grew up, she started to volunteer with Age & Opportunity, spending 30 years visiting seniors and bringing laughter and joy to their day. She also was a member of the Grey Street United Church for over 50 years and a member of the United Church Women’s Organization for 25 years, which is where she really perfected her baking skills.

When Richard retired, he did some out of town travel to help his son Brian with his fire safety business. Mary did not miss a beat and tagged along. Their adventures in various parts of Manitoba and Eastern Ontario are legendary in our family - including getting locked inside a jail and coming out into a court room. Every restaurant they went to, Mary made many friends along the way.

In 1993, Mary’s big break came when she joined the Sisters of the Holy Rock. That is when Sister Mary came to life and became the “hugging nun”. Mary toured with the sisters for 20 years of hilarity. In 2011 she went to New York with her son Richard and his wife Deb to see the Broadway production of Sister Act. She even brought her habit to get a picture in front of the theatre. The next day they went to the Easter Parade on 5th Avenue and she talked to everyone, and no one said no to her request to give them a hug.

In 1999, the love of her life, Richard, passed away, but Mary would go on another 26 years telling her jokes and singing at every opportunity. In 2019 she attended her niece Kim’s wedding in Alberta and performed a set of songs in her habit. There was no talking her out of putting on a show even though she was 89 and retired from the Sisters group.

Mary truly lived a wonderful life. From growing up in the Depression to performing on stage. She touched the hearts of everyone who knew her, even if you met her only once. She loved animals and enjoyed her two dogs (Maggie and Tootsie), which enabled her to go on long walks with her friends and their dogs. She was a kind and generous soul, and very much of the great generation who understood hardship and became community-oriented. Our 95th birthday card to her read: Happy birthday to one-of-a-kind, wonderful you!

Mary leaves to mourn her sons, Richard Jr. (Deb) and Brian; many nephews and nieces; cousins; and friends.

We would like to thank the entire healthcare staff at St. Boniface Hospital, in particular Nurse Sandra on the 4th floor for her compassion and professionalism. As well, we would like to thank the home care staff who helped Mary over the past few months.

The funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 4 at 2:00 p.m. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Avenue, where she will be laid to rest with her husband Richard.

Please consider a donation in her memory to the Winnipeg Humane Society.

Chapel Lawn Funeral Home

204-885-9715

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 03, 2025