In Celebration of
Mary Marcella O'Shaughnessy
September 16, 1929 - March 23, 2026
Mary Marcella O’Shaughnessy (MacEachern) passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on March 23, 2026, at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga.
She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Martin (2012), and her siblings: Catherine, Alistair (Kaye), Louise (Francis), John A, Dougald (Joan, Marion), Malcolm (Barbara), Rose (Ken), and Frankie.
Mary will be deeply missed by her family. She is survived by her brother Gerald (Brenda); her six children Donna (Martin), Sean, Maureen (Sudhir), Louise (John), Michael, and Eamon (Susan); and her grandchildren John, Bridget, James, Maeve (John), Hannah, Tara, Kieran, Patrick, and Charlotte. She was also blessed with a great granddaughter, Isla, and will be lovingly remembered by her many nieces and nephews.
Mary was born in Broad Cove, Cape Breton Island on September 16th, 1929, to Donald Angus and Sarah (MacDonald) MacEachern. She attended Mount St. Bernard College and St. Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, and graduated from Nova Scotia Teachers College in Truro in 1948. From there, Mary returned to Cape Breton Island, teaching first in Ottawa Brook, Margaree, then Brook School in Broad Cove and finally in Dunvegan where one of her favourite students was author Alistair MacLeod. She then relocated to Montreal in 1953 and Toronto in 1954. While living in Toronto she enjoyed attending social events with the local Irish community where she met her husband Martin, a boxer and hurler from Callan, Ireland. They married on November 29, 1958, and after a short time in Toronto, moved to a new community, Park Royal, in what was later to become Mississauga.
As a devout Catholic, Mary has been a member of St. Christopher’s Catholic Church in Clarkson since 1962. She worked for the Dufferin Peel Roman Catholic Separate School Board where she taught at St. Christopher, St. Louis and St. Helen Elementary Schools. Generations of students have fond memories of kind, patient “Mrs. O” who made every student feel special. Over the years and decades later, many of her pupils would visit to say hello and share their stories.
Mary remained a Cape Bretoner at heart and returned often to connect with her many family and friends, especially her close cousins the McVicars of Arisaig and Antigonish, and life-long dear friends Mary (Joe) MacEachern and Christine MacLeod of Broad Cove.
For the last several years, she was blessed to have a dedicated team of Personal Support Workers. A special, heartfelt thank you to Colleen, Shonette and Brenda for their years of exceptional kindness and support. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Nicole Palumbo who took wonderful care of Mary in her final years as well as the staff of the Credit Valley Hospital Emergency Department and Unit 1B Medical for their kind and professional care.
Dear Mom, your children could not have asked for a more wonderful and loving mother and grandmother. Although we are heart broken, we are so grateful to have had you in our lives for these many years. Your legacy lives on in your family, your friends, your students and the many people you have touched on your journey.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 2-5 PM., at Turner & Porter "Neweduk Chapel", on 1981 Dundas Street Mississauga, L5K 2M5.
A funeral mass and burial will be held later at St. Margaret’s of Scotland Church in Broad Cove, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband.
Memorial donations may be made to Ian Anderson House, Support Us - Ian Anderson House (https://ianandersonhouse.com/donate/).
She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Martin (2012), and her siblings: Catherine, Alistair (Kaye), Louise (Francis), John A, Dougald (Joan, Marion), Malcolm (Barbara), Rose (Ken), and Frankie.
Mary will be deeply missed by her family. She is survived by her brother Gerald (Brenda); her six children Donna (Martin), Sean, Maureen (Sudhir), Louise (John), Michael, and Eamon (Susan); and her grandchildren John, Bridget, James, Maeve (John), Hannah, Tara, Kieran, Patrick, and Charlotte. She was also blessed with a great granddaughter, Isla, and will be lovingly remembered by her many nieces and nephews.
Mary was born in Broad Cove, Cape Breton Island on September 16th, 1929, to Donald Angus and Sarah (MacDonald) MacEachern. She attended Mount St. Bernard College and St. Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, and graduated from Nova Scotia Teachers College in Truro in 1948. From there, Mary returned to Cape Breton Island, teaching first in Ottawa Brook, Margaree, then Brook School in Broad Cove and finally in Dunvegan where one of her favourite students was author Alistair MacLeod. She then relocated to Montreal in 1953 and Toronto in 1954. While living in Toronto she enjoyed attending social events with the local Irish community where she met her husband Martin, a boxer and hurler from Callan, Ireland. They married on November 29, 1958, and after a short time in Toronto, moved to a new community, Park Royal, in what was later to become Mississauga.
As a devout Catholic, Mary has been a member of St. Christopher’s Catholic Church in Clarkson since 1962. She worked for the Dufferin Peel Roman Catholic Separate School Board where she taught at St. Christopher, St. Louis and St. Helen Elementary Schools. Generations of students have fond memories of kind, patient “Mrs. O” who made every student feel special. Over the years and decades later, many of her pupils would visit to say hello and share their stories.
Mary remained a Cape Bretoner at heart and returned often to connect with her many family and friends, especially her close cousins the McVicars of Arisaig and Antigonish, and life-long dear friends Mary (Joe) MacEachern and Christine MacLeod of Broad Cove.
For the last several years, she was blessed to have a dedicated team of Personal Support Workers. A special, heartfelt thank you to Colleen, Shonette and Brenda for their years of exceptional kindness and support. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Nicole Palumbo who took wonderful care of Mary in her final years as well as the staff of the Credit Valley Hospital Emergency Department and Unit 1B Medical for their kind and professional care.
Dear Mom, your children could not have asked for a more wonderful and loving mother and grandmother. Although we are heart broken, we are so grateful to have had you in our lives for these many years. Your legacy lives on in your family, your friends, your students and the many people you have touched on your journey.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 2-5 PM., at Turner & Porter "Neweduk Chapel", on 1981 Dundas Street Mississauga, L5K 2M5.
A funeral mass and burial will be held later at St. Margaret’s of Scotland Church in Broad Cove, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband.
Memorial donations may be made to Ian Anderson House, Support Us - Ian Anderson House (https://ianandersonhouse.com/donate/).
Funeral Details
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Visitation
Turner & Porter - Neweduk - Erin Mills Chapel
1981 Dundas St. West, Mississauga, ON, L5K 1R2
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Sunday, 29 Mar 2026 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM