Dooks (Mitchell), Audrey – Head of Jeddore. March 16, 1926 – October 26, 2019. It is with sadness that we the family of Audrey Jean Dooks announce the passing of our loving mother and Grammie at her home in Head of Jeddore in her 94th year. Born in East Jeddore, she was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Audrey looked forward to joining her heavenly family; husband, Arthur R.D. Dooks; and their sons, Douglas and Harland; her parents, Owen and Eva (Blakeney) Mitchell; sisters, Iva Day and Velma Arnold; and brothers, Harland, Russell, Lloyd, Donald and Keith; and her great-granddaughter, Nicole Murphy.
The years may have left her tired and frail, but Audrey's kindness and beauty never faded. She was always grateful and would often say she had much to be thankful for, beginning and ending each day in prayer.
In her younger years, Audrey worked at the Ship Harbour Peg Factory, the Clam Factory in Ostrea Lake and Sears’ shoe department in Halifax. In 1943 she married her tall, dark and handsome soldier, Art Dooks, four hours before he sailed to battle for our freedom in the Second World War. Much to Mom's dismay and embarrassment, their Harlequin romance style gang-plank wedding made the newspaper of the day.
With their young family, they lived for several years on Sable Island where her husband was the last Superintendent of the island. It was on Sable Island that Audrey was awarded her Wings for work recording and reporting aircraft sightings over the Atlantic during the Cold War. They settled back in Jeddore where they continued to raise their growing family.
One of Audrey's daily pleasures was watching the view of Jeddore Cove from the comfort of her home. Whether she was soaking up the rays from her sun porch, snuggled up in her bed looking out at the night sky or sitting up during a storm to watch the wind and high tides, she took pleasure each day in the nature around her. Her fondest memories were of times spent as a youth on the beach in East Jeddore.
Due to Mom and Dad working hard, living modestly and saving for the future and with the help of a fantastic support team, we were able to make Mom's wish of staying at home a reality. A special thank you to her loving care givers/companions, Darlene, Helen, Cindy, Geraldine, Jackie, Jennifer, Marlene and Sandra. Thank you for such outstanding attention from her family physician, Dr. Natasha MacInnis and the Twin Oaks Hospital outreach programs of Continuing Care Nursing and Occupational Therapy which further enabled Mom to live in the comfort of her own home.
Audrey is survived by children, Janet Lynch (Michael), Sylvia Higgins (John), Valerie Shears (John), Art Dooks (Donna Groom), daughter-in-law, Geraldine Evans Dooks (late Harland); grandchildren, Theresa Derby, Barbara Day, Michael and Daniel Lynch, Allan, Tim and Doug Murphy, Jacqueline, Jennifer and Joanne Shears, Jessee Sawyer, River Dooks, Kenny and Lisa Dooks, Stephanie, Patrick and Glenna Brown and their families; many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by special nieces, Darlene Mitchell and Helen Arnold, and good friend, Cindy Levy.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 4 in Jeddore United Baptist Church, 8 West Jeddore Rd., with Pastor Aubrey Deslatte officiating. A reception will be held in the church basement following a family committal at Head of Jeddore United Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to Head of Jeddore United Church Cemetery Fund, Twin Oaks Hospital or Jeddore United Baptist Church.
"never grow old, never grow old,
in a land where we'll never grow old "
(George Jones)
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