Obituary of Vivian E. Wile

Vivian Earleen (McCann) Wile, 90, Windsor/Cole Harbour – passed away on July 7, 2012 at Bissett Court, Cole Harbour. Mom was delivered into the world at 2 O’Brien Street, Windsor, by her maternal grandmother, Mary (Sherman) Smith on November 20, 1921. She was the 5th of 14 children born to the late Clarence Arthur and Ada May (Smith) McCann.  Her siblings and cousins called her Earleen; a name that was chosen to honour her paternal uncle, Earl McCann. Mom lived in Windsor most of her life with the exception of the last three years spent at Bissett Court in Cole Harbour. She attended school at Windsor Academy until the age of 14 when she was needed at home to care for her younger brothers and sisters after her mother’s passing. She met Frederick Elkanah Wile when she took a dare to offer to help him pump gas where he worked at Haley’s Garage on O’Brien Street. They married in 1939 and lived briefly in Falmouth before moving into the house at 816 O’Brien Street where she stayed for over 60 years. She shared their house with boarders during the war years and they raised their 7 children there. Mom was a devoted mother who made nutritious and delicious meals, worked hard to make holidays special, remembered the family birthdays and packed interesting Christmas boxes in the later years. Sadly, their son, David, died in 1944. Mom missed him every day for the rest of her life.  Fred passed away in 1970 and Mom entered a new phase of her life. Mom bravely joined the Windport Dance Club in the 1970s spending many fun Saturday nights proudly showing off her newly learned steps at dances all over Hants County. She moved into the Gladys M. Manning Retirement Community in 2004 and to Bissett Court in Cole Harbour in 2009. Mom loved the colour red, anything Freddie, clocks, budgies, a good cup of coffee, feeding birds in the red feeder Freddie made for her, country music, babies, reading the newspaper daily before her eyesight failed, Wendy’s fruit cake, Sharon’s gift parcels and the family get-togethers that Geri planned. She had the genealogy "gift" of remembering who was related to whom passing that along to Judy and Pam.  Mom liked a good joke and rum and eggnog.  She loved her gardens on O’Brien Street and passersby often stopped to comment on the beautiful floral display. Mom was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star Fairfield Chapter #22 since 1952;  I.O.D.E,  H.E. Kendall Chapter, a Life Member of the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Hants County Branch No. 9 and the Windsor United Baptist Church. Mom is survived by: children Geraldine "Geri" (Bob) Findlay, Trenton, ON; Sharon (Mart) Lacombe, Alexandria, ON; Judith Wile, Sydney, NS; Wendy (John) Chadwick, Coxheath, NS; Fred (Maureen), Williamswood; Pamela Wile, Halifax; sisters Marion McNeil, Windsor, NS; Cody (Bob) Bishop, Caledon, ON; brothers: Bill, Ottawa, ON; Doug (Barb), Gibbons, AB; Don (Sylvia), Windsor, NS; half-brother, Reginald (Denyse), Truro, NS, 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Mom was predeceased by her parents Clarence Arthur (1947) and Ada May (Smith) (1936) McCann, husband Fred (1970), son David (1944), grandson Gregory (1981), companion, Bruce Gammon (1999); sisters, Dot Eldridge (1988), Ruth Ripley (2010); brothers, Marvin "Pete" (1960), Ron (1965), Vic (1969), Gene (1989), Bob (2011), Stu (2011); half-brothers, John David (1942), Gordon Edward (1946). Special thanks to the staff at Gladys M. Manning Retirement Community for their loving kindness, to the staff of Bissett Court for their caring and support. Cremation has taken place under the care of DeMont Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, 419 Albert St., Windsor. There will be no visitation by request. A celebration of Mom’s life will be held at the Windsor United Baptist Church Friday July 20 at 2:00 pm; Rev. Dr. John Bartol officiating; reception to follow in the Sunday School Hall. Mom would be pleased if you wore a little red.  Private family burial following the reception. Donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia.