Mary Cecilia HURLEY

HURLEY, Mary Cecilia
April 1, 1946 – August 18, 2016
In her 71st year, at the Palliative Care Unit of the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario.
Born in Montreal, Québec, the daughter of Dr. Gerard A.P. Hurley and Kathleen O'Gorman Hurley. The second of five children: Eileen, Mary, Kathleen, John and Brian. Predeceased by her parents and her sister Eileen. Aunt of James, William and Tara Esdaile and Maud and Claire Hurley.
Mary graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966. She then trained in nursing at the Montreal General Hospital, and went on to teach nursing at Dawson College in Montreal for some ten years. Deciding on a change of career, Mary obtained a Licence en droit at the Université du Québec à Montréal in 1987. After clerking at the Federal Court of Canada, Mary completed a Master of Law degree at the University of Ottawa in 1995. She then embarked on a long career as a legal researcher at the Library of Parliament, developing a recognized expertise in questions related to the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Mary's passions were varied, and anything she undertook she pursued with diligence. She was a dedicated birder, an avid collector of First Nations art, an excellent photographer and needlewoman. Mary was very knowledgeable about baseball, crime fiction and wildlife, with a special fondness for crows and Canada geese. She loved to spend time with family in Ireland. In retirement, she travelled to the Galapagos Islands, Africa, Sumatra and Borneo to visit endangered animals, including gorillas and orangutans.
Mary volunteered at the Ottawa Humane Society, where she worked with abandoned dogs. She had a special empathy with animals, and derived much happiness and satisfaction from their company. Mary was a person of strong conviction, courage and determination, and she inspired great love and loyalty in those close to her.
The family wishes to thank the medical and nursing staff at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Maplewood Retirement Community and the Palliative Care Unit of the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital for their excellent care of Mary. A special word of thanks to Mary's physicians, Dr. Elizabeth Edwards, Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre and Dr. Jacqueline Lovatt Stern at the Élisabeth Bruyere Palliative Care Unit for their extraordinary care and concern for Mary.
At Mary's request, no funeral will be held. A memorial gathering will be held on a date to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre or the Palliative Care Unit of the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa would be appreciated.