Helen Adelaide Taylor

Helen, who preferred her middle name Adelaide, was born on Cape Breton, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on July 10, 1927, the daughter of John Joseph and Mary Agnes (MacPhee) MacDonald. She was the fourth of 10 children, eight of whom predeceased her in adulthood, including sisters Geraldine Gouthro, Patricia Wells Van Daele, Olga McCormick, and brothers Jack, Paul, Duke, Ronald and Earl. She is survived by Sister Eileen MacDonald of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Graduating in physiotherapy from McGill University in 1947, Adelaide eventually settled in St. Catharines, Ontario. There, one night at the St. Catharines Skating Club, she was asked for a turn by Robert A. Fitzpatrick. It was the start of a whirlwind courtship that led to marriage. The couple had five children, all of whom are left to celebrate her remarkable life: daughter Colleen Shubaly (Don), and sons Andrew (Therese), David (Caron), Peter (Jennifer) and Kevin (Jennifer), grandchildren Kathleen, Alexander, Christopher, Hannah and Avery, and an extended family of nieces and nephews.

After Robert’s passing in 1983, Adelaide continued to work as a homecare physiotherapist in Niagara, completed raising her children, and indulged her passion for bridge with a large group of friends she affectionately referred to as “The Merry Widows”. She also travelled widely, from the Arctic Circle to the Antipodes, spending extended time in Mexico, Greece and Australia.

With each sibling’s departure, Adelaide returned to Sydney where Edison Taylor, a high school beau, was a frequent mourner. After a few such visits, Adelaide realized Edison was attending to express more than condolences. It was Four Funerals and, in 2003, a Wedding.

They had many fun adventures together, then Edison passed away in 2020, not long after the couple had moved into Cameron Hall at Parkland Clayton Park in Halifax. Adelaide continued to live independently at Parkland, making many new friends, including fellow bridge enthusiasts and a conspiratorial crew of dinner companions dubbed The Ladies of the Roundtable.

Throughout her life, Adelaide remained active and open to new experiences, with a deep Catholic faith leavened by a taste for a little mischief. Although saddened by her departure, her children are each day more appreciative of the strong values mom and dad conveyed by quiet but loving example, including the virtues of self-reliance and perseverance.

A mass of intention will take place at 12:15 on June 13, 2023, at St. Benedict Parish in Halifax, with a celebration of her life and interment to follow at a later date in St. Catharines. The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of 7.1 QEII Health Sciences Centre for their kind attention and generous care.