GRANT, Lucy, age 95 recently of Lower Sackville, NS, passed away peacefully at Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home, Halifax, NS on March 6th, 2024.
Lucy was a loving and devoted mother to Judy Black (Jerry) and Randy Grant (Donna); grandmother to Kathy Perrier (Graham), Cheryl McIver (John), Duncan (Sylvia ) and Maxine; great-grandma to William, Lucy, Link, Brianne and Graham Jr. Also survived by many nieces and nephews in Canada and the USA.
Lucy was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on Thursday, June 5th, 1928 on a cloudy, windy 15-degree day. It was the day that Louis Armstrong recorded “West End Blues”. How ironic given she was born in what was then known as the West End of the Sault (the Italian section of the City). 1928 was also the year that the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that women were not persons who could hold office according to the British North America Act of 1867.
She had 10 siblings: Gino Loiocomo, Peter Loiocomo (Audrey), Stella Burningham (Harold), Angie Loiocomo, Rose Ryan (Tom), Rita Sasso (Bill), Theresa Perlini (Rumaldo), Barbara Fonti (Joseph), Anthony Berardini and Thomas Berardini.
She met the love of her life, Sheldon Grant, in Sault Ste. Marie just after WWII while working at the Adanac Restaurant. He was the dashing young sailor sitting at her counter and she couldn’t say no to a walk home after her shift. They were married two years later on Sept. 25, 1950 and celebrated 63 anniversaries together, outdancing anyone of any age.
She began working after completing Grade 8 to help support her family. She worked for many years in the shoe and clothing retail sector and managed the Woolworths lunch counter. She cared for her community and readily lent a hand when asked. She was a devoted volunteer for Sault Twirlettes & Drum Corps, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25, the Maple View Extendicare, and frequently assisted my father with the Newman Navy League #30. She served numerous terms in various executive roles in the Ladies Auxiliary of the Naval Veterans Association, and the United Church Women (UCW) at St. Andrew’s and Emmanuel United Churches. She was acknowledged for her more than 35 years with the Auxiliaries for the General Hospital, Plummer Hospital, and the Sault Area Hospital in both executive and support roles and spent many days “working” in their gift shops. Her involvement with the Alzheimer’s Society led to lasting friendships with a group of spouses of Alzheimer’s patients.
She lived 93 of her 95 years in Sault Ste. Marie before moving to Lower Sackville. She did much, loved much and laughed much. Lucy outlived her parents, her beloved husband and son, and all her siblings. Her priority was always her family. She will be greatly missed at family gatherings; she was the first person to raise a glass, to dance on a chair, and to celebrate an occasion. Her smile and laugh were contagious and were passed on to her daughter and granddaughters. Her homemade Italian meatballs and sauce were hands down the best on the planet!
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff of the Geriatric Assessment Unit 9th Floor of the Abbie J. Lane Building and to the staff on 6th Floor of Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home for their commitment and compassion shown to Lucy.
Funeral services will be held at Cruikshank's Halifax Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor Street, on Friday March 15th, 2024 at 11am. A celebration of life will follow in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, July 13th, 2024 at 1 pm (location to be determined). In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada would be appreciated.
To paraphrase a line from Anna Eliza Bray’s 1838 poem, “Thursday’s child had far to go.”