Benita Gertrude Cormier

BENITA "Benny" CORMIER, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, peacefully passed away on October 10th at the Halifax Infirmary. She was 91 years old and a longtime resident of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Benny was born in Amherst, NS, on July 15th, 1931, to Benjamin and Gertrude (née Cormier) Thibodeau. Her father owned the barber shop in town and, eventually, she followed in his footsteps launching a successful career as a hairdresser. This was a well-suited career because she loved chatting with people anywhere and everywhere at any time.

Benny married her high-school sweetheart, Lorenzo (Tony), and became the proud parents of three sons: Ken, Steve, and Chris. She was a devoted mother who was the undisputed matriarch of her family. She was constantly on the go and was often described as “sweet” and “a spitfire” all at once.

Benny’s boys were the joy of her life. She savored her time to connect with them whether it be over the phone or visiting them wherever they lived. During her visits, she enjoyed her travels with Ken and his family in the Canadian Rockies, and her excursions with Chris and his family in NYC. During her last visit to Manhattan, Benny danced with roller skaters in Central Park and then insisted on walking the 60 blocks back down to Chris’ apartment so she could “take in all the sights.” She turned 80 the following year.

Benny’s joy exponentiated when she became a grandmother to Lauren, Ken’s daughter, and years later to Jack, Chris’ son. She adored both of them and they were the apple of her eye. She was proud of who they were and supported them in their passions: Lauren as an equestrian and Jack as a hockey player.

Benita was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Marie (McIntyre), and her son, Stephen. She is survived by her loving husband Lorenzo (Tony) and sons Kenneth (Patrice) of Calgary, AB, and Christopher (David) of Bedford, NY. She is also mourned by her beloved grandchildren, Lauren Cormier and Jack Marsh-Cormier.

A funeral mass to celebrate Benita’s life will be held at 2pm on Friday, October 28th, at Our Lady of Guadeloupe (10 Maple Street, Dartmouth). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the IWK Foundation.