Obituary of Anne Therese Desmond
Our beloved mother, Anne Therese Desmond, died peacefully at home on Friday evening, November 24th, surrounded by her loving family. Born July 28th, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Anne (nee Jennings) Corkery. She is survived by her 6 children, Tim (Brenda), Anne Marie (Jim), Pat ( Martha), Maureen, Ellen (Paul), John (Derry), 18 grandchildren, Sarah, Emma, Patrick, Emily, Katie, Anthony (Angela), Michael, Sean, Kathleen, Joseph, Clare, Christopher, Madeline, Matthew, Kane, Gabe, Timothy and Connor, 2 great-grandchildren, Thomas and Gianna and her sister, Margaret Corkery. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Bernard Desmond (Joan), and sister-in-law Elizabeth Ann Cann and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of 56 years, Vincent Edward Desmond, her sister R. Marie Corkery, her nephew, Bernard F. Desmond, brothers-in-law, Lawrence Desmond and his wife Eugenia and Joseph Desmond and his wife Arlene, and Walter Cann.
Mum was raised in the north end of Saint John. She graduated when she was 16 from St. Vincent’s Girls High School and aspired to be a nurse. Being too young to enter nursing school, she attended Saint John Vocational School and took a secretarial program. A year later she went to the St. Joseph’s School of Nursing and graduated in 1953, Valedictorian of her class. She worked for a brief period of time at St. Joseph’s Hospital and then continued her studies at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, specializing in operating room nursing. Mum returned to Saint John and to St. Joe’s, and eventually became the night supervisor, where she worked until her retirement. Her nursing career gave her the opportunity to develop many close friendships which she valued.
Mum started keeping company with Vince (a farmer from Loch Lomond) in 1955 and they married in 1958. Children quickly followed. After settling down in the home that her husband built for them, Mum became a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church and played the organ for over 40 years. Together with Ed McDermott she performed the music ministry out of love for her faith and her church. She was a longstanding member of the CWL. She also had the pleasure of being a member of the “Bridge Club”, a group of close friends who met bi-weekly for over 4 decades. Mum also enjoyed her trips overseas to visit her sister who worked abroad or to celebrate a special anniversary with her husband.
After retiring in 1996, Mum volunteered at the Catholic bookstore, a position she truly enjoyed. She also spent much time with her grandchildren, who loved her dearly and who, in the last few years, generously contributed to her quality of life.
Mum always put her children first, sacrificing her own interests to look after us. Mum was the neighborhood nurse, often looking at cuts or bruises to determine if stitches, x-rays, or band aids were needed. She always amazed us with how she managed to care for six children, maintain her career, contribute to her community, and keep the household running.
We will forever miss her good guidance and moral compass. We know she is now with God and are thankful that we were blessed with having such a beautiful soul as our mother and grandmother.
A heartfelt thank-you to those who gave extraordinary care to our mum in the last couple of years, including, Eileen MacDougall, Angela Desmond, Martha Desmond, MaryAnne Dobbelsteyn, and Virgina DeGuzman. A special thank you to Lynn Douglas, her caregiver, companion, and angel in disguise.
Visitation for Anne will be held at Brenan’s Funeral Home (506-634-7424), 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023, from 3- 8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Our Lady of Good Counsel - St. Joseph’s Church, 4347 Loch Lomond Road, Saint John, at 11 am on Thursday, November 30th, 2023. Immediately following the Mass there will be a reception in the Hope Centre, adjacent to the church.
Donations in Anne’s memory can be made to DMCS (Divine Mercy Catholic School), The Hope Centre or to the charity of your choice. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.BrenansFH.com.
