Phyllis Edna Hamilton

Phyllis Edna (Buchanan) HAMILTON

Phyllis Hamilton died peacefully on March 21, 2022, in her home in Ottawa, at 96 years of age. She was active until about a month before, when she started to have several smaller health issues, which together made it too difficult to continue kidney dialysis, and she died of kidney failure. Her family misses her very much.
Phyllis was born in Cowansville, Quebec, and lived most of her life in Cowansville and Granby. She graduated from the nursing programme at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal as a registered nurse in 1947. Later in life, she spent many years nursing in the pediatric department at the Brome Missisquoi Hospital in Cowansville. She and husband, Ken, were married for 56 happy years. They were involved in many volunteer community service activities together, and also enjoyed travelling.
Phyllis was very proud of her United Empire Loyalist background, and while still living in the Townships, along with Ken, was very active in the St. John Branch of the Loyalist organization. She and Ken were also very active in the Canadian Club, as well as the United Church in Granby, all the time they lived there. Ken died in 2004.
Phyllis' four children, Heather, Wendella, Ian and Dawn, all survive her. Ian's, and daughter-in-law, Candace's, (Silliphant) children, John Kenneth and Michael, from St. John, New Brunswick, are her treasured grandchildren. Phyllis's parents, Gladys and Charles Buchanan of Cowansville, her two sisters, Ardice Buchanan and Mary Mandigo, brother-in-law Royce Mandigo, nephew Brian Mandigo, and infant brother Keith, all predeceased her. Her son-in-law, Heather's husband, David Gill, (Coaticook and Montreal), died in 2019. Her niece Brenda Mandigo Schumann, and nephew Brett Mandigo, survive her, as well as her first cousins Junior Harvey, and wife Barbara of Cowansville, and Norma Wark (Jones) of Vermont, both also in their 96th year.
Phyllis was devoted to her family. In 2012, she moved to Ottawa to be close to her daughters, Heather and Dawn, and lived independently in a seniors' residence, where she was very happy. In the first few years in Ottawa, she attended luncheon meetings of the Canadian Club, and frequently enjoyed concerts at the National Arts Centre with Heather. She loved to go out for meals and shopping with her daughters.
While in Ottawa, Phyllis finished her second book, an English History of Granby, and also wrote an autobiography for her family. Although the pandemic restricted many of her activities, she was still usually able to satisfy her addiction to playing Bridge two or three times a week. Phyllis loved to read, and still devoured as many books as possible. She spent many hours every day in good weather sitting on her south-facing balcony, enjoying the view from the 16th floor, the warm sunshine, and the lovely flowers she grew there. Phyllis determinedly did walking laps of the long hallway outside her apartment every evening for years to stay fit and mobile, until the last month. She still stood straight and tall, and only recently had to occasionally use a cane or walker. Her beloved cat, Gemma, who followed her everywhere, and gave her constant furry companionship, predeceased her by two years.
A graveside ceremony will take place in summer 2022 at Granby United Church Pinewood Cemetery, where she will be buried with husband Ken. Friends are welcome to attend, and the date will be announced closer to summer.
In Phyllis' memory, donations can be sent to the Kidney Foundation of Canada at: https://kidney.ca/Get-Involved/Make-a-Gift/In-Memory-Tribute-Donations
Messages of condolence and remembrance can be sent to her family at: hamiltonh@xplornet.ca