Laurel McNeill

  General Notes:

OBIT
DeCOURCY, Laurel Teresa
89, of Pointe Claire, QC, passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. Born July 7, 1927 in Pictou, NS, she was a daughter of the late James and Mary (MacDougall) McNeill. As a teen, Laurel worked as an usherette at Pictou's Capitol Theatre and as secretary for the War Assets Corporation. She caught the eye of RCAF pilot Thomas Joseph DeCourcy of Sydney, NS, who was in town completing his secondary education after WWII. They were married December 29, 1947 and moved to Kingston, ON, where Laurel managed the office for a local doctor while Tom completed university. As Tom's career transferred them from city to city, she turned her focus to home and family and made many friends in new places. She was a skilled seamstress and enjoyed singing (Sweet Adelines) as well as playing cards at the kitchen table with her friends, children, and grandchildren. She had tired of "too many moves", so when Tom retired she was happy to set down roots in Bowmanville, ON where she volunteered with the Wilmot Creek community welcome committee. She and Tom enjoyed some great years together honing their lawn bowling and golfing skills there; Laurel even scored a hole in one! Some time after her husband's death, Laurel wished to live nearer to family and found herself planning another move to the greater Montreal area for her remaining years. Laurel is survived by daughter Margaret Ann Foley (Terry) Kirkland QC, son George Allan DeCourcy (Nancie) Dallas, TX, daughter Patricia Lauren "Laurie" Hambly (Derek) Oakville, ON; grandchildren Kerry, Laurie, Melissa, Mark, Shawna, David; and great-grandchildren Daniel, and Katie. Laurel is also survived by brothers Walter, Oregon, and Stan, Pictou. Laurel was predeceased by her husband Tom; brothers Jack, Bert, Allister (Peller), James (Jimmy), Paul; sisters, Rita Walker, and Florence McNeill. The funeral will be held at Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Homes on Sunday, January 15 at 3 p.m. with a visitation one hour prior to service. Laurel planned for one last move to her final resting place; her ashes will be interred at Bowmanville Cemetery 1330 Haines Street, Bowmanville, ON at a later date. The family would like to thank the staff at the Lakeshore General Hospital, Pointe Claire, QC for their care and comfort. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation: fondationlakeshore.ca

Laurel married Thomas De Courcy, son of George A. De Courcy and Norah Donovan, on 29 Dec 1947. (Thomas De Courcy was born on 20 Feb 1921 in Sydney, Nova Scotia and died in 1995 in Bomanville, Ontario, Canada.)