Mary "Lois" HARPER — Tignish

Harper, Mary "Lois" While taking a rest from baking biscuits, Lois (Alyward) Harper passed away peacefully at her home in Tignish, aged 80 years. She was the beloved wife of the late David Harper. Lois was born in Pleasant View on May 24, 1944, the eighth of 14 children of the late Austin and Alma (Donahue) Aylward. Cherished mother to Janice Harper (Ed White), Cindy Hanks (Duncan), Pam Gamble (Paul), and Derek Harper (Charlene). Loving NANA to Noah (Hannah), Olivia (Shourov), Gabe and Levi White, Miles (Nicole) and Hayley Hanks, Jenna, Rebecca (Jayson) and Luke (Abby) Gamble, Paige and Ty Harper. Lois took great joy in sewing quilts for each grandchild and in teaching them how to make preserves, meat pies, bread, and biscuits. Lois had exceptional organizational skills and a great capacity for empathy. She rarely missed an opportunity to give to her community in as many ways as time would allow. She was a founding member of the Tignish Health Co-op, she served as a school board trustee for over a decade, as a Red Cross volunteer, and as an active CWL member and community volunteer. In recent years she enjoyed sewing, playing cards, gardening and visiting. She rarely arrived empty handed, often toting baked goods, flowers or a rescued treasure. She held her many friends and family very close to her heart. She was generous, kind, caring and she will be missed immensely by those who loved her. She is survived by brothers and sisters, Jean (late Elmer) Blanchard, Austie (Theresa) Aylward, Phyllis (Freddie) Shea, Florence (Leo) Malone, Carol Keough, Betty (late Gerard) Ready, Joey (late Peggy) (Sharon) Aylward, Wayne (Nettie) Aylward, David (Marlene) Aylward, Donna (late John) Tomiuck; and brothers-in-law, Barry Shead and Ted (Jeannie) Hinks. She is also survived by brothers and sisters -in-law, Alice (Dick) Ellsworth, Freda (late Doug) Hardy, Bobby (Penny) Harper, Molly (Derryl) Buote, Edward (Darlene) Harper, Joe (Patsy) Harper and Rosemary (George) Terry. She was predeceased by parents, Austin and Alma (Donahue) Aylward; brother, Leonard; sisters, Mary Ellen Hinks and Noreen Shead and parents-in-law, Fred and Esther Harper; sister-in-law, Ruth (John) Kenny, Wendell (late Josie) Harper, Philip (Muriel) Harper, Nancy (Shane) Rochford. Resting at the West Prince Funeral Home, 522 Thompson Road. Visiting hours Wednesday July 31st from 6–9 p.m. Tignish CWL will hold a prayer service Wednesday afternoon at 5:45 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral will be held Thursday August 1, 2024 at St. Simon & St. Jude Church, Tignish with funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. Memorial donations to the Tignish Caring Cupboard would be greatly appreciated. Interment will take place in the church cemetery. peifuneralcoops.com