Mary Emma Mullins (née MacNeil)

On Monday, March 4, 2024, Mary Emma Mullins (née MacNeil) passed from this world, one week shy of her 94^th birthday, in London, Ontario.

Born in Scotchtown, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia on March 11, 1930, she was born into a coal miner’s family of eight children. The last of her family to pass, Mary predeceased her father, Dan C. MacNeil, who died in 1931, and her mother, Ethel MacNeil, in 1976. Also by her sisters, Catherine and Dorothy; her beloved brothers: Alexander, Arthur, Francis, Donny, and Danny; and her cherished nieces, Donna and Karen.

Wonderful and loving mother to Michele (John) and Robert. Grandmother to Katelyn (Nick), Jenny (Nolan), Shannon, Sydney, and Shelby; great-grandmother to Emma, Riley, and Coen. A loving aunt to her many nieces and nephews, and a good friend to the many people she met along her journey through life. A life well-lived.

Mary Emma worked as a teacher and taught in Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Ontario, but was especially proud of her years teaching in Indigenous schools in Alberta and northern Ontario. She loved to teach and was dedicated and devoted to her many students.

In 1973, while living in Delhi, Ontario, she was in a tragic car accident that ended her much loved teaching career and set her into an early retirement. After months of recovery, she devoted herself to her family, her church, and her many friends. Though she struggled through many illnesses and life challenges, she would not let that stop her from making the most of her remaining years by being active and involved in her community. She truly loved life and everyone she met. Always full of fun and ready for a card game, she is greatly missed by all who knew her.

We would like to thank the staff of Oakcrossing LTC for taking good care of her these last few difficult years.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. John the Divine Parish, 390 Base Line Road West, London, on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. A light lunch reception in the parish hall will follow. She will be interred with her parents in St. Leonard Cemetery in New Waterford, Nova Scotia at a later date.

Giving back to the community and charitable causes was important to Mary. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Operation Smile Canada, or to a charity of your choice.