Marian Bernadette (MacDonald) Turner

With heavy hearts, we regret to announce the passing of Marian (MacDonald) Turner, on June 25th, 2025, at the North Side General Hospital from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Marian will be missed by her husband of 44 years Tom; three children Thomas (Melisa), Matthew (Tanya), and Elizabeth (Tony Micallef); five grandchildren Shelby, Xander, TJ, Harper, and Alice; siblings Christina (Paul Brown), Michael (Dee), Irene, Lenny, John Joe, and Andrew.

Marian was predeceased by her parents John and Mary (Daley), sisters Margarite (Harry Grant), Doris (Dookie), and brother and best friend Angus.

Marian was born and raised on Atlantic Street Sydney Mines (on the wrong side of the tracks, as she would proudly say) and moved to Mill Creek when she married Tom and raised three children together. Marian had many different jobs throughout her life. She helped run Bras d’Or Woodcrafts with Tom, worked assembling and later selling computers at Lantz Electronics, selling insurance for the Co-operators. all before becoming a teller at the Steel Centre Credit Union for where she worked for sixteen years before retiring at Princess Credit Union in Sydney Mines.

Marian loved to learn, whether it was higher education or just a new hobby to explore. She did courses in electrical technology, computer programming and financial lending but her biggest challenge was the guitar. Marian was always a lover of music, knowing every word to every song, but never had the opportunity to learn an instrument as a child. She fixed this after her fortieth birthday when she started taking guitar lessons. At this age, it was difficult, and took almost a year before she could play and sing a single song, but from then on she could accompany herself and spent many nights entertaining around a campfire or the kitchen table.

Ever the social butterfly, Marian always loved to be around people, host family in her home, and give back to her community. She could never go out without running into a Credit Union member, a friend from school, or a cousin of a cousin. She volunteered with her local 4-H club and participated in many fundraisers, once growing her hair for years just to donate it for locks of love. In her last years she would join Tom in the morning to chat at Tim Hortons, join in singing circles, and attend 45 games. Her life was full of great friendships, made evident by the outpouring of support she received as the disease progressed. The family would like to thank all of ‘the girls’ – her sister Tina, Michelle, Louise, Madonna, Laurie, Eileen, Julie, and all the others, who came by to sit with her, bake, talk, sing, and remember.

Marian’s last few months were spent at the Northside General Hospital. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers that worked to help make her final days as comfortable as possible. Everyone from nurses, doctors, support staff, sitters, and palliative care volunteers were a tremendous help to the family as they navigated end of life care.  Special thanks to Dr. Jean Ferguson for her support and empathy during this difficult time.

To commemorate Marian’s full life, there will be a celebration on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Bras d’Or church hall at 1pm. Mom loved a kitchen party, so instruments and singing voices are encouraged. Donations may be made in her name to Alzheimer’s Nova Scotia or Northside Hospital Palliative Care.

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