Maher's Funeral Home., Placentia Bay, NL, (709) 227-5682
Celine Marie Kear (nee Power)
Visitation Information
Visitation
Friday, Septebmer 15, 2017
Visitation Time
2pm to 9pm
Visitation Location
Holy Rosary Church, Branch
Service Information
Service Date
Saturday September 16, 2017
Service Time
11am
Service Location
Holy Rosary Church, Branch
Requested Charity
Heritage Winnipeg, Branch Community Center, or Charity of Your Choice
Kear, Celine Marie
(nee Power), formerly of Branch, St. Mary’s Bay,
Newfoundland, passed peacefully away at Victoria General Hospital in
Winnipeg, Manitoba on Saturday, September 9,
2017.
Predeceased by her parents, Neil and Rose
Power; her parents-in-law, William and Isabelle Kear; her brothers,
Harold and Leonard Power; her brothers-in-law, Norbert Lake and Doug
Kear and her sisters-in-law, Willa Weiser and Isabelle
Kear.
Leaving to mourn her husband of 48 years, Allen
Kear; her sisters, Maureen Roche (Fred, dec), Mary Power (Amarjit
Singh), Pauline Lake Devine (Mike), and Bernadette Cocker(Bruce); her
brothers, Wilfrid Bruce Power (Rose), Rev Peter Power, Dermot Power
(Mary Manning, dec), and Tom Power (Ernestine); sisters-in-law,
Roseanne Power, Jean Power, and Anne Kear; a multitude of nieces,
nephews, grand-nieces and nephews and extended family members; friends
in NL, especially her life long friends Marie Roche, Mona Gillispie,
and Dorothy Hertzberg; and a wonderful circle of friends and colleages
in her home city of Winnipeg.
Celine was the first of eleven children born to
Neil and Rose Power of Branch, S.M.B. NL. The importance of
education and a love of reading were instilled early in life and for
the first time in the history of small outport schools, an outport
student, Celine, was the proud recipient of the Governor
General’s medal for the highest marks attained in provincial
public examinations in 1952.
Celine continued her education at Memorial
College in St John’s and in 1967 graduated from Laval
University in Quebec with a Masters cum laude in French
Literature.
As a Sister of Mercy she taught at Mercy
Convent School, St John’s; St Michael’s College,
St George’s; St Brides College Littledale, St
John’s; and later at St Lawrence College, Quebec
City.
In 1969, she moved with her husband, Allen to
Winnipeg, Manitoba where she taught at Vincent Massey Collegiate until
her retirement.
Her love of teaching continued after retirement
as she taught part time at the University of Winnipeg offering courses
on The Works of Jane Austen, The Literary Works of Nineteenth Century
Women and on Manitoba History and
Heritage.
She was actively involved with the University
Women’s Club and served a two year term as President of the
Manitoba Branch of the Canadian Federation of University
Women.
Celine was a lifetime member of the Jane Austen
Society of North America and was instrumental in forming a Manitoba
chapter of the Jane Austen Society in which she was actively involved
until her death.
Celine’s energy and passion for
community service were no better demonstrated than by her involvement
in the cultural heritage life of Winnipeg. For decades she
served with the volunteer sector and charitable non profit heritage
community serving on the Dalnavert Management Committee, the Board of
The Friends of Ralph Connor House and Doors Open Winnipeg. She has
served as President of Manitoba Historical Society and as President of
Heritage Winnipeg. She was Chair of Heritage Winnipeg
Fundraising Committee and host of HW Fundraising committee events from
2006 to 2016 earning her the
distinguished award of Recipient of the HW Lifetime Achievement Award
for volunteer efforts in the heritage
community.
Celine and her husband were both bilingual and
demonstrated their passion for French culture by their involvement in
the francophone community of Winnipeg. As a member of
Friends of the St Boniface Historical Society, Celine participated in
the activities of St Boniface University, the Cultural Centre and
Cercle Moliere. She was a proud supporter and advocate for
the preservation of Gabrielle Roy House
Museum.
Celine stayed true to her Newfoundland roots,
returning each summer in the years following her retirement to
reconnect with friends and her ever expanding family of
whom she was so fond and proud. She recognized her own
heritage in 2000 by the placement of a commemorative plaque on the
Family Shop marking three generations in
operation.
The family expresses gratitude to the staff of
Victoria General Hospital for their dedicated care and to the dear
friends of Celine who offered such support to her and to her sisters
during their time in Winnipeg.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to
Maher's Funeral Home, Placentia, NL. Visitation will take
place at Holy Rosary Church in Branch on Friday, September
15th from 2pm to
9pm. Mass will be
held at Holy Rosary Church on Saturday, September 16th at 11
am.
A celebration of Celine’s life will
take place in Winnipeg later in October. In
Celine’s memory, donations may be made to Heritage Winnipeg,
Branch Community Center or to a charity of your
choice.
“And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping
slow.
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings”. (WB Yeats)
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings”. (WB Yeats)