Nancy Girroir (Marie St-Conrad), passed away on 15/03/2018

Nancy was born in West Arichat, Nova Scotia, on October 8^th 1919, in a family of eleven children. At the age of 20, she entered the novitiate in Trois-Rivières where her sister Eva Mae had preceded her, and she became a Fille de Jésus in 1941.

Nancy spent thirty-seven years of her active religious life in the service of education. After eleven years of teaching at the Commercial Course in Dalhousie, she taught twenty-six years in the schools of Nova Scotia, Alberta and New Brunswick, these years being interrupted with a few years of study. Of all that time given to teaching, it was the last nine years with the five-year-olds that she said were the best ones.

Nancy then took two years of religious studies before devoting herself to the teaching of catechesis at Charlo in 1984. She also served as parish secretary at Dalhousie for five years. Then she was appointed Superior at the Provincial House. She has also been in charge of smaller communities for nearly twenty years. In 1996, even though she had already passed retirement age for some time, she was not yet ready to stop working and she did volunteer work in Arichat where she remained until 2003.

Nancy has luckily enjoyed good health for many years. In 2005, she recovered wonderfully well from knee surgery. But she was then beginning to feel the effects of the aging process. In November 2009, she was one of the first group of Sisters to move to Canterbury Hall, Riverview, at the opening of this building. In the fall of 2011, her strength began to diminish gradually and, in the spring of 2013, she felt ready to move to Monarch Hall where she could receive the care she needed. Despite her 94 years, she adapted really well.

Like all the members of her family, Nancy was a woman of faith and eager to live according to her convictions. She was a generous and joyful person, with fine and often unexpected repartees, and endowed with artistic talents. Member of the Retirement and Mission Committee for many years, she was loyal to bring her collaboration for the smooth functioning and vitality of this group. She loved her sisters, her family, her pupils, and her nephews and nieces who appreciated her very much.

On march 15, it was in serenity and confidence that she went to meet the One whom she had loved, followed and served fervently. She was 98 years old and in her 77 year of religious life. May the Lord now welcome her into His kingdom of peace, love and joy!