Skerrett, Mary Emery née Bigelow of Eden Mills, died suddenly Sunday, April 15th, 2012. Beloved wife of Brian, loving mother to P. Brian Skerrett of Guelph, and Kevin Skerrett and Simone Powell of Ottawa, especially loved Grandnan to Alexander Skerrett, and special aunt to Seadna Ledger née Bigelow (Dave Ledger). A feminist and an activist, Mary committed herself to a number of struggles for social justice, both local and international. Most recently, she initiated several projects in support of building stronger links between the community and the local labour movement. Mary held a deep respect for animals, particularly horses, cats and dogs, from whom she learned many profound life lessons. She greatly valued her Nova Scotian heritage, and enjoyed many summers at “the Camp”, a log cabin on the Bay of Fundy. Mary’s lifelong passion for music of many styles was reflected in her involvement in several community choirs, her mastery of ragtime piano, and an intense appreciation of many popular, Broadway, and classical recordings. Accomplished and experimental in the kitchen, Mary’s approach to cooking was like so much else in her life – studious, creative, and generous. The tireless energy and humour she brought to those around her will be greatly missed. Mary will be remembered by family and all friends on Saturday, April 28th from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm at a “celebration of her life”, at the OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre, University of Guelph, College Ave East, Guelph. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to Guelph’s Welcome In Drop In Centre (ibvm.ca/support) or the Canada Haiti Action Network (canadahaitiaction.ca).
