Lena Margaret SMITH

Lena Margaret Brydges It is with great sadness that her family announces the passing of their beloved mother, Lena. Surrounded by the love and support from family and friends at the Temiskaming Hospital, Tuesday, October 16 Lena Margaret Brydges (nee Smith) peacefully left us at the age of 78 years. At 5:40 a.m. Lena took her last breath and a tremendous aura of grace surrounded her body and soul. She was born on September 7, 1929 at Cobalt, Ontario to the late Charles and Orpha Smith. Lena was predeceased by her loving husband Clayson James Brydges in August, 2003. Also predeceased by her brothers Alf, Eddy, Doug, Eric, Gordon, sister Eileen St. Jacques and mother-in-law Mrs. Iva Brydges formerly of New Liskeard. Loving mother of David and Dwight Brydges of Edmonton, Janie-Ann Brydges of North Bay and Sue Nielsen of Cobalt. Cherished grandmother of Amanda and Adam Larabie of North Bay, Whitney Nielsen of Espanola and Emily Brydges of Sudbury. Also left to mourn is her brother Donald (Ruth) Smith of Ajax, and sisters-in-law Janet Colbran and husband Carl of Bramalea, Evelyn Brydges of Sudbury and Ev Smith of Ridgetown and Florence Smith of Pembroke. Niece Janette (Mike) Minderlein, Judy Smith, Bryan (Valerie) Smith. The funeral was arranged by Buffam Leveille Funeral home with guests attending from Vancouver, Toronto, Espanola, Burlington, North Bay, and Kapuskasing. Funeral services were led by Helmut Wipprecht and soloists were Anne Denise Mejaki accompanied by Bob St. Cyr and granddaughter Whitney Nielsen. Pallbearers were David and Dwight Brydges, Mike Minderlein, Dennis Nielsen, Dennis St. Jacques and Brian Smith. Honorary pallbearers were Adam Larabie and Guy Legault. Interment was at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In memory donations to the CATScan Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation were greatly appreciated. Lena (Lena from Galena) was born in the family home at 7 Helen Street and lived all her life in Cobalt. She attended Cobalt Public School and later Cobalt High School. She worked for a time at the Cobalt train station for the Ontario Northland Railway before marrying Clayson Brydges. In high school she played basketball and hockey. Because she contracted rheumatic fever at the age of 12, Lena’s life was to be defined in a sense by her ill health. Lena was an extraordinarily generous, loving, kind and thoughtful person and saying no to a request for help was not in her makeup. She naturally made her family and friends the beneficiaries of that love. Her warm touch of treating everyone with welcoming homespun charm was legendary. Above all she was simply a good friend to us all. She loved her cats, Babby and Bubbles and many birds, squirrels and chipmunks all found a home in Lena’s backyard. When her health was better she loved to walk, and made walking a part of her daily routine long before it became fashionable to be a walker. True to her homemaker role she loved to pick blueberries and raspberries and make pies. She had an outstanding work ethic and from morning till night she tended to the duties of her home because her philosophy of life meant being a doer. Some climb the corporate ladder of success and build large monuments to their inflated egos; Mom trumped them all with her down to earth legacy of just being a “good person each day.” Lena’s memory will never die, her kindness and decency liveth beyond this final obituary and in spite of all the illnesses that pained her over the years she triumphed over each day’s adversities. Her daily duty was to endure with quiet courage that inspired us all. The tears in our hearts need not dry, for they represent the great joy of spirit Lena’s nourishment gave us. There is one more bright star in the sky tonight and it has the name Lena on it.