Obituary of Anne MacDonald
MacDonald, Elizabeth "Anne"
Anne had just started the next chapter of her life. Unfortunately, the Universe had other plans, and she unexpectedly slipped away from us last Saturday morning, 26 October 2019. Typical of Anne, she had planned a surprise birthday party for a friend that evening, but sadly someone else was needed to step in to ice the cakes she had left to cool.
Born 51 years ago in Montreal, Anne was the youngest and most adorable baby of Ina Mae Butler and Chipman John MacDonald, of Tide Head and Kegwick River, New Brunswick. She was predeceased by both her parents, who were taken from us just a few short years ago, and are still mourned deeply.
Anne was blessed with not only being instantly a princess, but also a wild tom boy; loving competitive sports, the great outdoors, Cher, and yes, even fancy china! Ina joked, calling her Gertrude and sometimes the Queen of Sheba and taught her to above all, always be a thoughtful and charming hostess and guest. After a brief stint as a baby living in Tony and Margaret Rokas' rental cottage, Anne spent the rest of her childhood in leafy St. Lambert, Montreal and Fairfield Pond Vermont, graduating from Chambly County High School. She was immediately armed with the people skills and street smarts of her parents and inherited Ina's enduring questioning of authority. Anne was always a lioness! Anne was proud of her Scottish heritage and she was a woman of integrity and honesty who was fiercely loyal, determined and protective of the ones she loved!
When Anne joined the Army her family thought she was going through a rebellion, a phase that would pass. It did not, and they worried, but looked on with pride in her 31 year career, before her eventual retirement in 2018.
Anne made life-long friends throughout her CF career, there are too many to list here but they know who they are and she loved them to the end. It was also in the CF that she met her first husband, Wayne Forster, the father of her 2 children Haley and Kaela. Haley and Kaela, like their mother, spent their childhood summers at Fairfield Pond with Anne and their beloved grandparents, Chip and Ina. Anne watched with pride as they grew into the young women they are today.
Anne had a distinguished career in the Canadian Army in the Communications Research trade retiring as a Warrant Officer. She served in Gander, NFLD, Alert, NWT, Kingston, Bosnia, Texas, Ottawa, Afghanistan, Ottawa and retired in Kingston.
Not only did she serve “on the ground” in Afghanistan, but she worked supporting the Mission before and after the deployment, including as Operations Warrant Officer at CFB Leitrim. This involved her in the life and death stress of supporting combat operations for approximately six years.
As a result of this lengthy involvement she suffered disabling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and was medically released and retired from the CF in 2018.
She was a wounded Warrior.
Despite her inner wounds she spent her life thereafter helping and supporting others with PTSD or not. Her family have been moved by the outpouring of sympathy from the many, many people whose lives she touched and the comments repeated over and over that she was the most unselfish person they had ever met and always put herself last.
It was while serving in Bosnia in 2002 that she first met her husband Nick, whom she called her "warbride", whilst they were peacekeeping together. Later, they enjoyed a long distance relationship and marriage before Nick left his career in London, UK to come to Canada to be with her. During that long distance courtship Anne loved to travel to the Caribbean and Europe with Nick, Haley and Kaela. Anne was safe and asleep beside Nick when she left us.
Haley and Kaela did not expect to bury their mother so soon, nor Nick his wife, nor Gracie and Andy their baby sister, nor Aunt Monica, her niece, but here we are.
Anne leaves family, both blood and those of her own choosing, all over Canada, US and the world. We send love to you all.
Instead of flowers, please consider making a contribution to an organization that Anne cared for deeply and supported passionately, Wounded Warriors Canada which honours and supports Canada’s ill and injured CAF members, Veterans, First Responders, especially those with PTSD, and their families.
Those wishing to pay respects to the family and say goodbye to Anne are invited to attend a funeral service Sunday 10 November at 1:00, James Reid Funeral Home, 1900 John Counter Blvd., Kingston, Ontario. Although it is not a military service, uniforms and/or medals are welcome. A visitation will be available Saturday 9 November, from 3:00-6:00 pm.
