Obituary of Georgena Josephine Cromwell (MacDow)

It is with great sadness that we announce our cherished mom, Georgena Josephine (MacDow) Cromwell gently left this world to join her beloved husband in heaven on August 31, 2024. Georgie was born on October 17, 1937 in Big Pond, Cape Breton.  She is predeceased by her parents, Everett and Ethel (MacNeil) MacDow, her sister, Rita, and her brothers, Gerard, Raymond, Gordon (Sharon), Cyril (Betty) and David. She is survived by her brothers, Rev Everett MacDow, Francis (Carol-deceased) and John, her sister Linda (Blair MacNeil) and her sister and best friend, Elizabeth (Greg MacIntyre), her daughter, Susan (Charles Piercey), her son, Robert (Angela McNamara), her five treasured grandchildren, Matthew, William and Lukas Piercey, and Ryan Cromwell and Jillian (Lucas Bos) and her two beautiful great grandchildren, Travis and Sonny Bos. Upon graduating from Holy Angels High School, Georgie left her home in Sydney to pursue a career in Nursing at the Halifax Infirmary. It was after procuring a job in the Veterans Unit at Camphill Hospital that she met the love of her life, Ron. They married in 1961 and began raising a family. Georgie worked nights at the hospital so that she could spend the days with her children. After thirteen years, she made the bold decision to return to school to become a teacher. It was when she began teaching Nursing at the Dartmouth Regional Vocational School that she realized her true passion. Georgie absolutely loved being in the classroom. She was a born educator and her students adored her.  Throughout this time she was also busy in her community, volunteering at her children’s school and never missing a performance or event. She became an active member of the St Thomas Aquinas CWL, and was very honoured to be a Minister of the Eucharist visiting the sick.  She enthusiastically supported Ron’s love of politics and honed her craft of entertaining friends and family. All were welcome at her beautiful table. She was a generous and gracious host who took great pleasure in seeing everyone enjoying themselves. And boy, could Georgie cook!  She was perpetually young at heart and up for any adventure. One of her dearest memories was the summer of 1990 when she backpacked through Europe with her daughter. After twenty-four years of teaching, she retired in 1996 and thus began her and Ron’s wonderful Annapolis Valley adventure. They moved to Kingston, embraced golf and made fast friends.  Georgie and Ron enjoyed hosting golf tournaments, pool parties, mystery dinners, lobster suppers and fun evenings that always included a game of some sort. They travelled throughout Europe, cruised the Caribbean, and spent winters with their daughter’s family in Vancouver.  They loved welcoming their grandchildren to their home during the summers and introducing them to golf and swimming.  All five grandchildren learned to swim in their pool. Family was paramount to Georgie and she was fiercely proud of hers. She was a devoted mom and committed grandmother. If she thought of something she could do to make your day better, she would move mountains to make that happen. She was strong, loyal, fun loving, very affectionate and always present. She cheered for you, worried for you and stood up for you.  No matter where you were, she was with you in person or in spirit, always in your corner and prepared to roll up her sleeves. She loved a good joke, a great novel, a pot of tea, fresh homemade biscuits on Sunday morning and a drive in the car - anywhere Dad was headed. Georgie’s faith was extremely important to her and always an integral part of her life. She and Ron celebrated mass every single day together as time went on, and she went to bed each night thanking God for the beautiful day she had been given, and praying her rosary.  She would want us all to know that she was extraordinarily grateful for her family and her very fortunate life, and that she is at peace now beside her devoted husband, Ron.  God Bless you, Mom. In lieu of flowers, Georgie kindly asks that you please make a donation to the Hospice Halifax. Heartfelt thanks to the amazing staff, nurses and doctors there who make the final journey for their patients a dignified, respectful, and loving one. A funeral service for both Georgie and Ron will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 11:00am in St Agnes Church.