Obituary of Mary Helena Elaine Kelford

KELFORD, Mary Helena Elaine (Nee Thompson) November 13, 1935 - April 3, 2020 Peacefully at home surrounded by family. Her passing concludes what she described as a “happy and healthy life.” Born in Oxford Station, Ontario, Mary Helen moved to Smiths Falls at age 10, with her parents, Allan and Alice Thompson and her five siblings. She attended Elgin Public School and the Smiths Falls District Collegiate. She described a life rich with family and friends. At age 16, she survived brain surgery at Montreal’s Neurological Institute, returning to high school and then moving on to Taber Business College in Carleton Place. It was there she met the dashing Bill Kelford. Mary Helen and Bill married in 1955. Their family quickly grew to include Shane, Alison, Scott and Stephanie. Theirs was a life enveloped in large family and friend connections. With the closing of the RCA plant in 1978, Mary Helen, Bill, Scott and Stephanie moved to Scarborough where they embraced their new lives in the city. With their return to Smiths Falls upon Bill’s retirement they had the opportunity to travel and to connect in the community in new ways. After Bill’s death in 2008, Mary Helen continued to live an active life surrounded by friends and family. Mary Helen is survived and will be deeply missed by her children and their spouses Shane and Cheryl, Alison and Neil, Scott and Trisha, Stephanie and Brent; her grandchildren Adelaide, Kierstin, Hailey, Matthew, Scott, Aidan, Ryan, Colten, Liam, and Owen; her siblings and their spouses Lois, Shirley, Doug and Joan, Jim and Vi. She was greatly saddened by the recent death of her youngest brother Brian Thompson, survived by his wife Gloria. She is also survived on the Kelford side of the family by sisters-in-law Rossie, and her husband Les Smart, Barb Prevost and Lois Kelford, and many nieces and nephews. Mary Helen enjoyed the friendship and the support of many friends and neighbours. She was especially grateful for the support of Marilyn Mantle and Jackie and Clarence Deveau who became part of her “family” following Bill’s death and whose help she came to depend on in her final months. Mary Helen and her family are forever grateful for the support of the SE LHIN, the many personal support workers, palliative care nurses Laurie MacRae and Leah Williams and for her doctors, Brian Penney, Michele Barton and Robert Del Grande. Mary Helen was comforted by their care which allowed her to remain at home. If friends so desire, the family would appreciate any memorial contributions be made to the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital through either the Smiths Falls Community Hospital Foundation or the Great War Memorial Hospital of Perth District Foundation. Present guidelines will prevent family and friends from gathering to mourn, to comfort and to celebrate at this time. Her family hopes this will happen in the coming months. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.lannin.ca. We thought of you today but that was nothing new We thought of you yesterday and days before that too We think of you in silence We often speak your name All we have are memories and pictures in a frame Your memory is our keepsake with which we’ll never part God has you in his keeping We have you in our hearts