Obituary of Maude Baptiste

As the last surviving member of the original Brison clan, our Mom, Maude Baptiste, decided on December 14th. to join her family, just 4 weeks short of her 94th birthday. Born on Jan. 5, 1931, Maudie (as she was most commonly called) was the youngest daughter of the late Frederick and Margaret (Weatherbee) Brison. We can only imagine the partying going on up there now. Quite often she’d mention she’d leave if she could find her pants so obviously, she did find them. We are thinking she may have had a bit of trouble at the gates though if the holy one remembers the church offering, she made a few years ago. Somehow her money envelope for White Gift Sunday remained in her purse while a very interesting picture of Santa and his gift to her was dropped into the plate instead. That’s our Mom - just saying, she may be asked to return. After graduating from the Kay Anslow school of business in Windsor, Mom began her career working for the Dept of Agriculture and her experience came from working in Kip’s store in Cheverie at a very young age. She tells the story that she never really forgave Kip (her brother} for letting her work alone when there were always men coming in looking for nails and supplies, but we really think Mom was actually quite happy practicing her flirting skills. It was years later when at the Gladys Manning and Dykeland Lodge that we could see she had actually fine tuned these skills. You see our Mom loved men and she loved to tell stories but you could only believe half of what she told you - and you had to figure out which half. Mom’s career in business was cut short when she married our Dad Jack, an RCMP officer, and their lifestyle meant moving from town to town in NS. From Cape Breton to Yarmouth and several little towns in between Mom would set up our home again and again, looking after each detachment, finding a church group to volunteer and using her social skills to meet her many new friends whom she always kept in touch with. But Mom was always the happiest when she was heading down the shore to our cottage in Cheverie where she could hang out with her large family. This was HER paradise and family catch up/gossip time. We, her children, all agree we didn’t actually see much of her from the time we arrived until we were ready to head home again. What didn’t Maudie love to do? Like many in her family she has a knack for writing and wrote many poems over the years. We’ve learned a lot from reading these writings but unfortunately we’re censored here so…. . She was definitely a country music fan and would have married George Jones if she’d had the chance. She absolutely loved to dance and would take every opportunity to do so. In particular she loved doing the hop polka and tells a great story (just a few times) of going into the legion and someone by the name of Lorne C?? grabs her right away and asks her to dance the hop polka and well……….. it’s her story and we only wish we could hear her tell it again. She also loved to tap dance, and we’re told she often could be seen doing a little tap routine at Gladys Manning. Oh, how our social butterfly loved to entertain. She had so many passions (and that competitive streak often showed) which included bowling (and if she was losing she might argue that the bowling ball differed depending on where you bowled), walking, golfing, naked yoga (if the book that donned her coffee table was an instruction manual), cross country skiing, and in her 60s she decided to take up downhill skiing. And let’s not forget she loved to sew. Mom basically embraced every opportunity in her life. Mom was predeceased by her ‘darling husband, the best of all’, Irwin John (Jack) Baptiste, sisters Lucy (Ripley), Beatrice (Whalen), Edith (Andersen), Jean (MacLeod), Elsie (Harvie) and brothers George, Clifford, Lawrence and Wesley. She leaves behind her daughters Ramona Clarke (Peter), Janet Baptiste-Langille (George) and Robert Baptiste (Elaine). And then we have the grandchildren who adored Gram or Gramma B, Jocelyne, Jennifer, Jaclyne, Jeffrey, Challon, Joshua and Tyler. Her 11 great grandchildren would know her as their Gram Fuzz. Despite her failing mind and body over the past few years Mom never, ever lost her fun, feisty spirit that everyone adored. She wanted to see us giggle or laugh and we were so blessed to see this side of her every single time we visited. That spark in her eye, the raised eyebrows, that jab she’d do with a giggle at the end meant everything to us. Thanks Mom. We will forever miss our beautiful Mom with that firecracker personality and next time we find ourselves in a grassy field we will look for a 4-leaf clover, one of her favorite activities, and if we’re lucky enough to find one, we will be thinking of her as she would always find one. The immediate family will have a private committal at the Cheverie cemetery and will host an open reception from 2pm to 4pm on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in the Summerville Firehall, which just happens to be her wedding anniversary. Our family wants to thank all the staff at Gladys Manning and Dykeland Lodge who so thoughtfully cared for Mom and gave her the attention that she so loved, often egging her on with her joking. And lastly, we have to give a very special thanks to Challon who was there ALWAYS for Gram. You are a true GEM and as Gram would say so many times, you’re “one in a million’. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of the JW Allen Funeral Home, Hwy 215 Summerville (Phone 902-633-2431). Please visit their website at allenfh.ca if you wish to sign the guest book and/or send private condolences.