Anne Kathleen Carew Hallisey

Anne Carew Hallisey 87, died following a brief illness on November 16, 2021 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Born in Halifax on April 21, 1934, Anne was the daughter of the late Kathleen (McKenna) Carew and Basil S.J. Carew. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Alfred John (“Jack”) Hallisey and by her brother, Father Basil Carew.

Anne grew up in Halifax with many happy memories of summer adventures at family vacation homes in Glen Margaret and Pictou. Her foundation of a life of service to others was built through her years of schooling at the Sacred Heart School of Halifax. A proud “Convent Girl,” Anne developed life-long friendships at the Sacred Heart and made it a point to visit Sacred Heart sister schools in cities across North America that she visited over the years. She served for many years on the alumna board of the Sacred Heart. Anne returned to the Sacred Heart in later years, serving as the school’s librarian.

After graduation, Anne attended Mount Saint Vincent, earning a degree in Biology and worked in the blood lab of the then IWK Children’s Hospital. Soon, a dashing young American man, a recent graduate of West Point, visiting family in Halifax, entered her life and in 1958 she and Jack were married at St. Thomas Aquinas. Anne often told the story of emerging from her front door on Cambridge Street, directly across from the Sir Charles Tupper School playground, with her father on the morning of her wedding to cheers and clapping from the schoolchildren playing outside on recess.

The early years of their marriage were challenging as Jack was often overseas serving in military conflicts. When Jack returned ‘state-side’, he and Anne made homes on and around US Air Force bases in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia as well as time in Ottawa. During these years, Anne developed enduring friendships with other ‘military wives’ and perfected the art of hostessing, immersed herself in volunteerism, became a skilled cook and enjoyed traveling across the United States visiting Jack’s brothers and their families.

In 1980, Anne and Jack made the decision to return to Halifax to assist with the care of Anne’s aging parents. Her father soon died from Alzheimer’s Disease and this experience launched Anne’s career – perhaps more accurately, her vocation – as a volunteer and advocate with the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, the Dalhousie Medical School and the Geriatrics Department of the now QEII Health Science Centre. Over the decades, Anne organized conferences, fundraisers and learning sessions and provided peer support for hundreds of families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. She also assumed the role of hands-on caregiver for her own loved ones in their illnesses, providing loving and faithful care for her mother through years of Alzheimer’s, extended family members living with dementia, her brother through ALS and finally, providing tireless support and compassion as her husband lived with Alzheimer’s Disease during his last decade. Despite the heartache and fatigue of these struggles, Anne generously shared her experiences with professionals, students and caregivers so that a body of research could grow that will allow for improved quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s Disease and those caring for them. Anne even served as a ‘Living Book’ at Dalhousie University’s Living Library of Healthcare Experiences. Her gifts and sharing of her personal experiences will serve as a legacy for years to come.

Anne was the consummate friend – evidenced by the dozens of close friendships cultivated and tended to over her nearly nine decades. She was a loyal daughter, a faithful sister, a loving sister-in-law, niece, aunt, cousin to generations of McKennas and Carews, a godmother and a matriarch to her family and chosen family. Anne was deeply spiritual and found tremendous comfort in her faith. She was fierce yet humble, and her independence, grace, humility, dignity and concern for others endured until her final days. Anne’s people and Anne’s impact on those she touched form the legacy that survives her.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Oxford Street, Halifax on Saturday, November 20 at 11 a.m. with Father Owen Connolly officiating. COVID RULES APPLY – proof of double vaccine and photo ID required. Burial will follow at a later date at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Halifax.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anne’s memory to the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia or the Sacred Heart School of Halifax would be appreciated.