Lily always welcomed her Canadian relatives with open arms and a big smile. A cup of tea would soon follow. She was full of laughter and fun and was quite the jokester. Every time we saw her was so memorable that we made a point of visiting her whenever we came back to Ireland. She will be greatly missed. We loved her dearly.
Two memories, one of her time in Canada and another just this past June, stand out: When our Dad had TB and was in the sanatorium for almost a year, Mum stayed with Lily and David every other weekend when she went to Toronto to visit him. We lived 100 miles away and regular visits were impossible. Lily and David made a very difficult time bearable. They were unstinting in their hospitality and, in our place, regularly visited Dad.
Our second memory is much more recent. We visited her in June, and spent time drinking lemonade and singing hymns. With her impish grin in place, we shared memories as she hugged and laughed with us. We knew it was likely our last visit with her – and it was. She was a lovely presence in our life.
Friday 25 January 2019
Joy Drennan Scace and Dorcas (Drennan) Gordon, Canada