Obituary of Mary Louise Roach

Roach, Mary Louise - At Albright Manor on Thursday December 1, 2016, aged 89 years. Beloved wife of Simon and dear mother of Don, Kathy (Malcolm) Lough, Rose (Randy) Mizell, Holly (Jeff Burtenshaw) Roach, and Kevin (Anne Marie Macdonald) Roach. Sister of Mary Theresa Ar-senault, Marion Crowley and Viola (Francis) MacNeil. Also survived by 9 grandchildren (Simon, Andrew, Elyse, Ryan, Leighan, Harper, Emily, Martha) and 2 great-grandchildren (Logan,Landon). Mary was predeceased by bothers William, Bernie and Leonard and by sisters Josephine, Claudette, Verna and Christine Mary Louise (LeBlanc) Roach was born in Margaree Forks, Cape Breton, June 29, 1927. She was the third of 11 children of Rose and Dennis LeBlanc. She learned to weave, sew and bake at an early age (she was proud of that). In 1947, she met Simon Roach (through her brother Leonard) from Inverness. They were married in August 1952 and moved to Hamilton, Ontario where they lived for 10 years. In 1963 , they moved to their own home in Grimsby on Lakeside Drive. It was in this home that they raised their five children. Mary Roach was our Mom. She was a dedicated and resourceful homemaker who filled our family home with meals and handmade clothing. Her Cape Breton upbringing brought to the home in Ontario the smells of homemade bread, the tastes of homegrown fruits and vegetables, the sounds of clothes flap-ping on the backyard clothesline and of a sewing machine whirring away(she could figure out how to make a piece of clothing by just looking at a picture of it in a magazine). Every nook and cranny of the Grimsby home showed evidence of her inventiveness, a creative recycling that was way ahead of its time; if Mom had been born in another era, she would have made a great engineer or inventor. These snap-shots from our memories tell so much about her: Mom and Dad building their own tent trailer in the driveway, sewing the canvas and zippers; Mom experimenting with recipes gleaned from magazines and newspapers so that she and Dad could eat more healthy (the internet would have been an amazing tool for her); Mom scrubbing freshly picked car-rots from her garden, the smell of toasted tomato sandwiches on home-made bread in the kitchen; Mom scrambling with us to cobble together a Hallowe’en outfit hours before going trick or treating. Together with Simon, they raised us in a spirit of charity, respect and a love of family. As went out into the world, the house on Lakeside Drive remained a safe harbor for all of us at different times. We were always welcomed home without reserve, to rest, to take a deep breath, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back out there. In the latter part of her life, at Albright Manor, Mom was a cheery friend to the residents and staff. Her greetings, singing and laughter were an ever present part of the 4th floor atmosphere. Above all, Mary was devoted to her husband Si. At different times of their lives, they took turns looking after each other. Their children are especially grateful for that care, love and incredible devotion that they shared for each other. We are also grateful to the Fourth Floor Care Staff at Albright Manor. They provided a safe and caring home for both Mary and Si and allowed them to cultivate an extended family that meant so much to both of them. With love, Don, Kathy, Rose, Holly and Kevin Cremation has taken place. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Helen Church, 4106 Mountain St., Beamsville, on Friday December 9 at 12 noon with visitation starting at 11am. After the service there will be a gathering at the Royal Canadian Legion, Beamsville. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.