Mary Reid Strachan Dunlop was born July 16, 1910 in Arbroath, Scotland to John and Mary Milne, the second of three daughters. She died peacefully in the Bulkley Valley District Hospital on May 1, 2003.
She took nurses’ training in London and worked in London during the war, coming to Toronto shortly after the war’s end. She stayed in Toronto for only a short time before moving on to Hazelton. Her sense of adventure then took her to several small villages on the West Coast of Vancouver Island where she was the Red Cross nurse, serving the population of the surrounding area.
Later on she moved to and nursed in Vancouver. While she was in Hazelton she met John Dunlop to whom she became engaged. However, family opposition prevented the marriage until Oct. 1964, at which time they settled in Smithers. Unfortunately, her beloved Johnny was with her only a short time passing away in 1974.
Mary was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion and attended the April 2003 meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary Branch 63 at which she moved two motions.
She loved children and always had treats in her purse which she regularly gave to any children nearby.
She had a passion for traveling and had visited many far corners of our world and made friends where ever she went.
She is survived by one nephew, Raymond Carnie, who lives in Thailand. She will be missed and fondly remembered by many, many friends.
A memorial mass of remembrance was held at 1:30 on Thursday, May 8, 2003, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
In life, she was always quick to put others ahead of herself, always offering her help whenever possible. In this same unselfish gesture, she has donated her body to U.B.C for research.