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Jacki MacDonald planted a tree in memory of Mary Hill
Monday, April 3, 2023
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Mary Janet will remain in our hearts forever. May your precious memories of her love, passion and drive bring comfort to you. With Deepest Sympathy, Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree
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Robin Hill posted a condolence
Sunday, April 2, 2023
1. I stayed with her for the first 5 months of her life - they were the best 5 months of my life.
2. Because of Mary Janet's birth, I went to the College of the North Atlantic to ask for a job - and because I did that, I got to work at a job I loved until I retired.
3. At a Christmas dinner at the college, where employees and their families attended, Mary Janet (not quite 2) was scared when a loud Santa Claus came into the cafeteria where everybody was (it sounded like he might have had a couple of beers before entering the cafeteria). Mary Janet hid under one of the tables because she was scared of him.
The next Christmas eve, we told her she better get ready for bed, because Santa was coming. She ran into her bedroom, slammed the door and said loudly, "NO OH-HO-HO; NO-HO-HO-HO".
This caused me to write the following song (to the tune of "Joy to the World"
Ka petute, Montegano
Casto kawitchebet
Nantum "Ho Ho Ho"
Tshi Kamatsheu
Kastu kawetchebet
Kastu kawetchebet
Kastu, Kastu, Kawetchebet
4. Another story about Mary Janet occurred when Julianna and Mary Janet and I were in Halifax for my graduation from Dal. We were up in the park up by Spring Garden Road. People were feeding some ducks that were walking around. Mary Janet, then not quite two, held out a piece of bread towards the ducks. About a dozen came walking up towards her and the bread. They got about 10 feet in front of her, and suddenly Mary Janet put the piece of bread in her own mouth and ate it. The line of ducks just stood there in stunned silence looking at her.
Later, the Premier of the province was having the opening ceremony for the new law library. The lobby, where the premier was speaking, had a high ceiling. As the Premier was speaking, Mary Janet started going "WOOO-WOOO" to hear the echo effect.
5. Dyslexia occurs when a person's brain is trying to make sense of what it is seeing. For instance, a dyslexic baby may be able to see only its mothers hand, but will start smiling because it can envision the full person. In ancient times the brains of dyslexic hunters would help them hunt animals by bringing a broken twig or flattened grass to attention by letting the hunter envision the trail left by the animal in question. The problem in modern times is that a dyslexic person's brain tries to rearrange the letters a person is reading to try to make sense of them - causing reading difficulties.
Mary Janet was dyslexic, and together, we went through the 5 steps:
1) being a bright kid, but not being able to do well - and not knowing why.
2) discovering that the problem was dyslexia. Mary Janet ended up being in contact with the head of the Canadian Dyslexic Association in Ottawa and getting tested.
3) working out strategies that help a dyslexic student succeed.
4) learning that dyslexics have gifts. They are great empathizers, and can see things from another person's perspective (because of this dyslexics can make great lawyers - Erin Brockovich was dyslexic, for example). Mary Janet would think in pictures.
5). The fifth step is to tell people about dyslexia - its symptoms, remedies, and gifts.
5. When Mary Janet was 10, a new small store opened up in Sheshatshiu. Mary Janet, at 10, could make change - and ran the store for a while. To show the kind of person she was - you might ask how a 10 year-old girl could be left alone to run a store - well, Mary Janet could (and did) throw out drunks.
6. At 13, (in 2001) Mary Janet went with us to Toronto, and happened to go and see Serena Williams play tennis at the Canadian Open at York University that year.
This was in August. In March of that year, Serena Williams had been in a major tennis tournament in California. She had been scheduled to play her sister Venus in the semi-finals, but Venus pulled out because of a slight ankle sprain or tendonitis. When this happened the fans in the stands started booing wildly. The were yelling at Serena's father and his daughters the 'N' word, and one person yelled out that if it was 1975, they would have been lynched.
This brought Serena to tears. Twenty years later (just a couple of years ago) Serena spoke of the incident in a published article. She still remembers it and it still affects her.
Back in 2001, just a few months after the incident in California occurred, Serena came back to play tennis at the Canadian Open at York University in Toronto.
We were in the stands with Mary Janet. Her older sister Shirley and a friend got up to go somewhere else, but told Mary Janet to stay and cheer for Serena.
Now just a note about racism back then in Toronto. Here's a little story to explain.
Back in 1991, Rocket Ismail, an African American football player, had basically won the Grey Cup for the Toronto Argonauts football team by returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.
I happened to be in Toronto the next season for the Argonauts first home game. At half time, they had Rocket Ismail's mother come on the microphone and say 'Hi!' to the fans, and make some encouraging comments.
What you would normally expect is that the crowd would start cheering the mother of their hero - but no, there was dead silence. And it was obvious to me that because Rocket Ismail's mother was African-American, she was being subject to racism through silence - not like the loud racial taunts that Serena Williams experienced in California ten years later.
When we were sitting watching Serena play in Toronto, and Mary Janet had been told to cheer for Serena (who is also African American), it was eerie to notice the complete silence of the thousands in the crowd when Serena made a good play. She was being subjected to the same silent racism that Rocket Ismail's mother had experienced ten years earlier.
The whole crowd was silent when it came to encouraging Serena - except for Mary Janet, who was loudly yelling out support. After a while, one of Serena's entourage came up and sat beside us.
Serena went on to win the match and with it the tournament. After the game was over the crowd gathered outside the stadium on the sides of the road. Serena and her entourage came walking down the road, and Serena made a point of going over and shaking Mary Janet’s hand.
7. In 2013, Mary Janet graduated from Trent University and made the President's list. She was presented her degree by the Chancellor of the University, the TV actor Tom Jackson (who starred in the series North of 60).
When Mary Janet was given her degree, she asked Jackson's assistant if she could take a selfie with Jackson. Jackson's assistant asked "What's a selfie?" (which shows you how quickly technology has changed). But Mary Janet got to take one with him.
8. Mary Janet ran for, and was elected to the Innu Nation Board of Directors a few years ago. She received 5 marriage proposals during the campaign - none of which she accepted.
9. I overheard, by accident, Mary Janet talking to someone she worked with about a loan they had given somebody, and Mary Janet commented something to the effect (if I remember correctly) that the way the people were paying the installments wasn't the right way, because it was costing 1% of the loan each time. She just happened to be on her phone sometime later when I was within earshot when she said that the 1% of the loan was two million dollars.
10. I wrote a song about Mary Janet when she was a baby:
The Tent in the Winter Time
Verse 1
I don’t know if I
Can survive office politics
Or how I’ll raise up my kids
Without a job.
If it was just me,
I’d leave it to the Lord above,
But when you got kids you love,
You try to help God.
Chorus (after each verse):
But, oh, it’s nice
In the tent in the wintertime
Underneath the moonlight and
The sparklin’ sky.
And far, far away
Lights of town are twinklin'
My little girl’s head is sinkin’ in
My shoulder, As I hold her tight.
Verse 2
It used to be
You could pack up your family,
Work in a factory
In Ontario.
But if you believe
What you see on your TV screen,
There’s workin’ daddies just like me
Down in Mexico. Chorus
Verse 3.
If you wind up
Unemployed on the welfare line,
Passin’ time just passin’ time,
And tryin’ to stay sane -
It’s hard to recall
Anyone wanted you at all
Or you believed someone would call
You back again. Chorus. End.
Mary Janet’s siblings were:
Bernice
Shirley
Christine
Tamarah
Ben
Daniel
Fernando
And her special niece: Shaniss
She travelled many places, many times with one or more of her siblings.
Places included:
New Zealand
Florida
New York
California
Greece
Puerto Rico
Las Vegas
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Shirley’s husband Kanikuen has said that Mary Janet is probably continuing her travels in the afterlife.
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Sheri Wicks posted a condolence
Monday, March 27, 2023
My heartfelt condolences to Mary Janet's family, co-workers, friends and community. A shining star, words cannot express the tragedy of Mary Janet's passing at such a young age before her full potential was realized. I first got to know her professionally, but also considered her a friend. Smart and well educated, with a fierce passion for her culture and people, I truly believe she was going to change the world; she was already doing so before being taken from us too soon. She was so strong, right to the very end, always optimistic she was going to beat cancer, even in the face of a grave diagnosis, but she couldn't have gotten as far as she did without the love and support of her family and community, who rallied around her in an unspoken testament of what she meant to everyone. I will miss working with her every day, and am so disappointed that the weather and airport events of this weekend past have scuttled my travel plans to attend her funeral, but I will be there in spirit.
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Mike Spurrell posted a condolence
Monday, March 27, 2023
Deepest condolences to the Family, Friends and Co-workers at IDLP with the passing of Mary Janet Hill. Thinking of you at this difficult time
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Gemma Riche posted a condolence
Sunday, March 26, 2023
My deepest condolences to her family and friends. Mary Janet will be missed by everyone that had the opportunity to know her. The world is a darker place without her vibrant and loving personality. Heaven has gained a beautiful soul. Rest peacefully Mary Janet, you fought the good fight.
"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."
Author unknown
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Selby Mesher posted a condolence
Saturday, March 25, 2023
I never knew Mary Janet, but I know her parents Robin and Julianna. She came from a long line of beautiful and loving people.
I can see she was loved and well respected and a very knowledgeable young woman. A very great loss to her family, friends, relatives, community, province and country.
May you treasure the beautiful memories and May God’s blessings be with you all during this very sad time.
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Zoe posted a condolence
Friday, March 24, 2023
What a beautiful and powerful force in this world. It's so unfair to have her gone this soon.
Those of us who were lucky enough to know her, to know her resounding laugh and quick wit, the fierce love and loyalty she held for her family and friends, the ways she lead and gave in service of her community, we will miss her.
May her memory be a blessing.
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Wavey Reid posted a condolence
Friday, March 24, 2023
I am so sorry to hear of Mary Janet’s passing. I lived and worked in Goose Bay for 22 years and had Mary Janet as a client for a great deal of that time .I always found her to be very happy always smiling and very thoughtful and caring for others . I’m sure she will be greatly missed. My sincere condolences to her parents and family.God bless you all .
A Memorial Tree was planted for Mary Hill
Friday, March 24, 2023
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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Fillatre's Funeral Homes Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree
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The family of Mary Janet Hill uploaded a photo
Friday, March 24, 2023
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