Obituary of Madeline H. Pritchard

PRITCHARD: Madeline Hannah, died at Meadow Park Nursing Home in Chatham, Ontario, on November 15, 2008, as a result of heart failure. She was seven days shy of celebrating her eighty-fourth birthday. Born in Chatham on November 21, 1924, to S. G. (Bert) Newberry and Margaret McDonald Newberry, Madeline was a graduate of Chatham Collegiate Institute where she excelled in athletics. After graduation, Madeline entered training at the Public General Hospital in Chatham to become a Registered Nurse and was a member of the graduating class of 1946. She was always proud of her profession. Madeline is survived by her daughter, Mary Anne Simpson (James), of Toronto and London, Ontario; and her son Ronald E. Pritchard (Jennifer) of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Madeline is also survived by her three grandchildren: William A. G. Simpson (Holly) of London, Ontario; Karen I. Simpson of Chatham, Ontario; and Gordon W. Pritchard of Detroit, Michigan. Madeline is also survived by her sister, Dorothy P. Chapple; several cousins; four nephews; and a number of great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Robert Newberry of Wallaceburg, and Kathleen Bathurst of Toronto. Madeline lived a well-rounded life. She was a lifelong and committed member of First Presbyterian Church in Chatham where she served as a Sunday School teacher and as a member and past-president of the Dr. Margaret Strang Auxillary, W.M.S. In her community, Madeline was a member and past regent of the Lt. Dick Crawford Chapter of the I.O.D.E. and was a former secretary of the Kent County Lung Association. She was also a member of the Public General Hospital Nurses’ Alumnae and an enthusiastic golfer and bridge player. Madeline was also honoured as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. Madeline was most proud of her family. In March, 1947, she married her high school sweetheart, Gordon E. Pritchard, to whom she was married for more than forty-six years. Gordon died in October, 1993. After her own children were raised, Madeline was an active and committed grandmother who enjoyed letting her grandchildren beat her in a game of cards and spoiling them with treats hidden in places that only they knew about. Above all, Madeline was a woman of faith. She endured many physical hardships over the last several years of her life with dignity and a sense of calm that served as a quiet inspiration to those who knew her. Madeline’s family invites friends to the Funeral Home, 459 St Clair St., Chatham, Ontario, for visitation on Monday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and again on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 morning for one hour prior to the funeral service, which is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place immediately following the service at Maple Leaf Cemetery. As a tribute to Madeline, friends and family are asked to consider making a donation to the Madeline H. Pritchard Bursary Fund, which will provide on-going financial aid to a nursing student enrolled at St. Clair College, Thames Campus, Chatham, Ontario. Madeline's family acknowledges with sincere thanks the care and compassion shown to her by everyone at Blenheim Community Village retirement home and Meadow Park nursing home.