Obituary of Mary Ellen Polegato

POLEGATO, Mary Ellen, Louisdale

Mary Ellen Polegato of Louisdale passed away peacefully at the Strait Richmond Hospital, Evanston on February 19, 2019 just hours short of her 85^th birthday.  She died the way she lived: surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Born February 20, 1934 in Reserve Mines, she was the daughter of the late Daniel Andrew and Mary Ellen (Deveaux) Morrison. She will be dearly missed by her son, Geno, Louisdale; daughters, Rosemary (Richard), Sackville, NB, Michaelah (Milan), Kaori, NZ, Linda (Gary), Almonte, ON, Ellen (Michel), Marion Bridge, NS, and Gina (Jeff), Cap La Ronde, NS; grandchildren, Mathieu, Adam, Mallory, Justin, Gioia, Keelen, and Grant; great granddaughter, Chikita; sister, Marie Currie, Reserve Mines; and special nieces and nephews, Amelia, Jerry, Adrian, Dannie, and Lana. She was predeceased by her husband, Geno Anthony Polegato.

Mary Ellen lived on the “beautiful” Mira River until 1967 when the family moved to Louisdale. She appreciated the good fortune for her and her family to live, be schooled, and to work in Louisdale and the Isle Madame area.  She worked as a telephone operator, did bookkeeping for Polegato Trucking for many, many years, and owned and operated the Cottage Bakery & Tearoom with her husband for nearly a decade. Mary Ellen was an enthusiastic member of the St. Louis Choir for more than 50 years; in her later years, she was also a member of New Horizon Seniors Club in Louisdale, the Louisdale Book Club, St. Louis Parish Council, and the St. Louis Catholic Women’s League. Wherever she was and whatever she was doing, she loved to share stories and laughter, and she established close friendships. She had many a good chat with Anne, Dolly, Donna, Julia, and countless others.

Mary Ellen enjoyed her dogs (Molly was the last one), plants (that seemed to grow just to please her), sewing, crafting in all ways, making baby blankets with names on them, spending time in the sun, yearly mother-daughter 5-day weekends, and other family times. She disliked winter and sports. Her cooking and baking were known far and wide; she took particular delight in making Nona’s Blueberry Cheesecake at the request of her grandchildren. She had a special place in her heart - and in how she lived - for orphans, the abused, the unwanted, and the vulnerable. She was a woman of strong faith; she prayed for her family and friends and put blessings on those traveling along Lennox Passage Road! She believed her Mama who said, “Don’t tell me that worrying doesn’t work because everything I worried about didn’t happen.” That was just one of her sayings; another one that she lived by was, “Kind words bring back kind echoes.”

There will be no visitation per request. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday at 11:00 am at St. Louis Church, Louisdale with Rev. Duncan MacIsaac presiding. Burial will be held at a later date. A reception will be held in St. Louis Parish Hall in Louisdale following Mass. Memorial donations can be made to St. Louis Cemetery Fund, Glen Sampson Room, or to the Strait Richmond Palliative Care Society. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to C.H. Boudreau Funeral Home in Arichat. To send words of comfort to the family or to light a candle in memory of Mary Ellen, please visit www.chboudreau.com.