Katherine Lea Scott

D.O.B. September 6, 1960

It is with a broken heart and profound sadness that Dr. Reginald Landry announces the peaceful passing of his beloved wife, Katherine Lea Scott. How can one capture the immensity of her spirit in so few words?

Katherine was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1960, the youngest of four girls, to Durward Scott and Jean Scott (nee Eddy) formerly of Clifton, New Brunswick. Katherine spent many summers on the family farms in New Brunswick with her family, experiences she always cherished.

Katherine met her future husband in Halifax when both were students at Dalhousie University and Katherine was completing her Master’s in Library Science. Their journey eventually took them to Cape Breton where they made a life together, Katherine’s larger-than-life personality and radiant smile drawing people together and creating a community of family and friends. Katherine was passionate about the arts and was never settled unless she was doing something with her hands. Her passion for the arts included playing French horn in the Mimico High School Band, studying theatre in university, particularly set and costume design, and fine art. She was an artist and a craftsperson and enjoyed working in the book arts, creating Japanese-style books and boxes. In the early years, her studio was filled with paper she dyed by hand and then intricately stencilled. Her creativity included a devotion to the ocean and she could often be seen scouring the local beaches for beach glass, old porcelain, and anything that caught her eye. She turned these found objects into a wide variety of creations. Katherine’s entire life was creative and she renovated a number of old houses, painstakingly selecting colours. Katherine was an avid cook and loved to throw dinner parties with family and friends. Not content to be still, Katherine also loved fitness and, in particular, hiking and walking. On their many travels, Katherine would always be organizing a long walk, whether in a big city or in the French countryside of Provence that she adored. One of her favourite activities was spending hours on-line finding just the right hotel for the next trip. Katherine was also a long-time fitness enthusiast and body builder and built a community of friends at the YMCA. She was disciplined and focused and was especially proud of having completed a competition at 50 years of age.

Katherine was involved in a number of Art and Craft organizations over the years. She will be remembered by so many as an arts educator, mentor, cheerleader, volunteer, philanthropist and immeasurable positive influence on those around her. In the words of one of her closest friends, “When you were with her, you never wanted the experience to end”.

Katherine is survived by her loving husband, Dr. Reginald Landry and their fur family. Before her illness, Katherine could often be seen walking her beloved dogs, Daisy and Rosie, often with a cat following close behind. She is also survived her sisters, Shirley, Martha (Paul) and Arlene (David). She is also survived by her parents in law, Clarence and Marie Landry who loved her like a daughter and sister-in-law Claudette (Wayne) and brother-in-law, Jason (Laureen) as well many nieces and nephews. Katherine is predeceased by her parents, Durward and Jean.

Katherine’s family would like to thank the people her provided such great care during her illness. Katherine’s family and friends rallied around her. Dr. Steven Hall, Family Physician, was very attentive during her illness, and Dr. Stephanie Lapierre showed her particular touches of kindness. A deep appreciation goes out to the Palliative Care teams, including Leah Burns R.N and Dr George Burns who visited Katherine at home and helped ease her suffering, sometimes just by reaching out at the right time. The Palliative Care in the An Cala Unit, including the wonderful nurses and physicians, provided Katherine with a ‘safe’ environment for her last days. Dr. John Ritter and Dr. Trevor Guy provided Katherine with the comfort and the means to live out her life with dignity and grace and with “a taste of air and light”.

Cremation has taken place and a private family memorial service will take place at a later date. To share memories and condolences please visit www.twcurry.com.