Obituary of Doris Marie O'Brien

OBITUARY OF DORIS MARIE O’BRIEN (né Lutley)

Doris passed away peacefully on July 8, 2019 at the Annapolis Royal Nursing Home at the grand age of 100 years. She is survived by her children, Dan and Maryanne, grandchildren Jeffie, Ben, Daniel and Zachary, great-grandchildren Jeremy, Isaiah, Seth, Annalise and Daxon, and by brother Gerald (Valerie Carr) and sister Patricia. Doris was pre-deceased by parents Frederick and Grace, husband Clarence, sisters Mildred, Shirley and Pauline and brother Frederick.

For much of her adult life, Doris was a mainstay of the St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church community in Dartmouth, where she and Clarence raised their family. She was deeply involved in church service work such as teaching catechism classes and belonging to the Children of Mary society. When she and Clarence retired to the Annapolis Valley, she carried on with church-related volunteer work as a member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary and as a 1st Communion instructor at St. Alphonsus Church in Bridgetown.

Along with her devotion to the church, family was at the centre of Doris’ life. She was a loving and devoted mother to her two children and a doting grandmother to the four grandchildren who made almost daily visits to Nanna’s house for many years. In her later years, she also took delight in her great-grandchildren and, indeed, in any children who crossed her path in life. She enjoyed living close to nature and especially loved feeding the birds.

Doris will be deeply missed by her family and community but her legacy of loving kindness will continue.

A Mass in celebration of Doris’ faith-filled life will be held at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Bridgetown on Saturday July 13 at 4:00 p.m. with interment in the church cemetery and a reception to follow in the church hall. Visitation will take place on Friday July 12 at the Kaulbach Family Funeral Home in Bridgetown from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m., with prayers at 7p.m. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to World Vision or the activities department of the Annapolis Royal Nursing Home. Online condolences may be sent to www.kaulbachfamilyfuneralhome.com