Everyone loved Mary Ellen. She was the best and she will be missed.
A wonderful friend and companion,  a loving mother, a caring wife,
fiercely independent, but always supportive.  A joy to all who knew
her. There will never be another like her.

She always had time for others, to listen to their problems and
be supportive, never judgemental. She was creative, caring, and
compassionate.  A kind and generous spirit. She could make her friends
and family laugh and smile even during the hardest of times.

She had a knack for cryptic crosswords and enjoyed all types of word
games.  She also had a great intolerance for bad grammar and spelling
mistakes and wrote many letters to the CBC about typos and grammatical
errors on their web site - a proofreader par excellence.

She had a great zest for life and loved to spend time in her garden.
She loved her wine and her porch where she spent her most precious
moments.

The house is a testament to her creative talents. The pictures that
hang on the walls, the choice of colours, the knickknacks that adorn
every space without crowding and over embellishment. She was a master
at creating balanced and harmonious spaces and she hated clutter and
disarray.

She had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humour.  An eye for
beauty and an ear for music.  She loved classical music and could
identify thousands of pieces after hearing only a few notes.  She loved
to draw, and take art classes to hone her skill and be with others who
shared her passion.

Her children were the love of her life and they could do no wrong.
Her friends were the nourishment of her soul.  She loved them dearly.
Her husband was a friend and companion on the journey through life.  I
miss her greatly and the loss seems unbearable. I know she would want
me to go on. But how? I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend
so much time with her.  If only it didn't have to end.

It rained all day the day she left. A precursor of things to
come. Sadness and misery without end. So many memories, so little time
to renew them. No respite. No relief.  I knew I would never see her
again.  She fought a valiant fight but finally succumbed to the cancer
that was ravaging her body.

Friday October 9 2015. One day before thanksgiving. Not much to be
thankful for. Maybe the 47 years we had together. Two children, countless
friends and a lifetime of memories.

Two days before she died a young man came by the room and offered to
play some songs on his guitar. One of the songs she chose was Fragile
by Sting. He played it and we both sang along, and from that time on I
have not been able to get the words out of my head. I doubt I ever will.

  On and on the rain will fall
  Like tears from a star like tears from a star
  On and on the rain will say
  How fragile we are how fragile we are

She loved her friends and her family, but most of all she
just loved people. There will never be another like her.