Obituary of Shirley Beatrice Howe
PLEASE NOTE: A Celebration of Life service for Shirley will take place on Saturday, May 7 at 11:00am from Trinity Anglican Church, Sussex NB. Interment following at Riverbank Cemetery in Norton. Following the burial, a reception will be held at The Norton Municipal Building - 10 Municipal St, Norton, NB E5T 0C8. All are welcome to attend
The purpose of life is to be useful,
To be honourable,
To be compassionate,
To have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
Shirley Beatrice (Stewart) Howe
13-April-1935 – 24-January-2022
Shirley Beatrice (Stewart) Howe died peacefully at the V.A. Snow Centre on 24-January-2022 as a result of COVID-19. Shirley was born in Highfield NB, the daughter of Earl and Emma (Ward) Stewart. When she was eighteen, she married Thomas Howe and they began their life together. They left their home in New Brunswick and moved to Watson Lake, Yukon with their young son, Gary, in 1956. From the Yukon, they moved to Stewart, BC where they enjoyed life with their growing family. In 1967, Shirley was widowed when her husband died in a work-related accident.
At 32, she returned to New Brunswick to raise her five young children and to be near her extended family. She bought a home in Sussex, settled her children in school, and then travelled to college each day to continue her education. After graduating, she went to work at ShurGain in Sussex where she enjoyed her work and the many friendships formed with coworkers. She retired in 1995.
Shirley loved being close to her siblings and extended family members, many of whom live in the Sussex area. She made many life-long friends in each of the communities in which she lived and remained in contact with many of them throughout her life.
Shirley always worked hard to give back to her community. She was an active member of her church, Trinity Anglican in Sussex, and was a member of the ACW. She helped with the various sports organizations and clubs that her children were involved in, and she was a member of the board of directors and a longtime volunteer with the Sussex Sharing Club. The house on 2 Golding Street was always open to the children of the neighbourhood and on Saturday morning the smell of freshly baked bread drew many to the screen door.
Shirley was an avid photographer and she enjoyed sketching and painting. She loved to travel and to see and learn new things. She travelled extensively throughout Canada and the US. She vacationed in the United Kingdom, Italy, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali, and Australia. She also spent many enjoyable vacations travelling with Nancy’s Tours to destinations near and far. She loved the music, the theatre, the sightseeing and the time with friends that these trips offered. In later years she enjoyed trips to the Caribbean where she relaxed and enjoyed spending time with many of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Shirley will be lovingly remembered by her five children: Gary Howe, (Patricia), of Toronto ON, her four daughters: Carol McConchie, (Larry) of Norton, Kathleen Simmonds, (Perce) of Canoe Cove PE, Shirley-Ann Howe of Apohaqui NB, and Cheryl Howe (Mike) of Norton NB; 13 grandchildren: Thomas Howe, Claire Howe, Shawnee McConchie, (Jeff), Shane McConchie, (Nikki), Sharlene Jackson, (Shawn), Elizabeth Sentner, (Matthew), Laura Eaton, Drew Eaton, Aneleyse McLaughlin, (Colby), Ellexis Vella, Laisia Miller, (Jay), Mackenzie Edwards, (Anas) and Adrienne Edwards, (Hao); 10 great-grandchildren: Brody, (Dana), Shealyn, Lara, Isabella, Layne, Kate, Emma, Hudson, Jack and Nixon. She will be dearly missed by her sisters Celia Seymour and Carol Hayes, by her sisters-in-law Rachel Herrmann and Violet Wright and by the many nieces and nephews whom she adored.
In addition to her husband and parents, Shirley was predeceased by her sister Pauline Muir, her brothers Ward and Merton, infant brother Cyril and infant sister Helen.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of Wallace Funeral Home, Sussex NB. A funeral service will be held at Trinity Anglican Church in Sussex NB in the spring of 2022 with interment at Riverbank Cemetery in Norton.
Donations in Shirley’s honour may be made to the Sussex Sharing Club.
We wish to thank the staff of the V.A. Snow Centre, Hampton for the daily care, kindness, dignity, and support shown to our mother. She enjoyed her time with all of you and with her fellow residents.
Shelly O’Donnell filled the final years of our mother’s life with extraordinary love, compassion, and joy. The time that Shelly spent with our mother each day was a gift. Shelly’s presence in Mom’s life, and in the lives of each of us, has been a blessing for which we will always be grateful. Thank you Shelly.
