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Obituary for Theresa Rosemary Kennelly-Tessier

Theresa Rosemary  Kennelly-Tessier
Kennelly-Tessier, Theresa Rosemary

The Love of my Life and “Centre of my Universe” Theresa Rosemary Kennelly-Tessier suddenly slipped away Saturday morning Oct 14, 2017 at home at the age of 64. Thirty-six years was not enough time for me to be with her. Theresa graduated several times (Double Honours B.A. Archaeology and Classics from McMaster University, Honours Diploma Theology, Honours Diploma Ethics and Diploma Education from Loyola College (McGill University). Theresa worked on archaeological digs in the Cloaca Maxima in Rome and Hadrian’s Wall in England on scholarships from the “Vergilian Society”. She went on to teach with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District Separate School Board as a world religions teacher and librarian. Her last school before retiring was Cardinal Newman High School. She loved all of the students who were privileged to have her teach them. When not teaching and later in retirement, she spent many years sailing and cruising in Georgian Bay and flying with her husband in their light plane to their special Peace and Plenty hotel in Exuma, Bahamas. She also travelled to and felt at home and had a real connection with the people of Israel, Ireland and Paris, France. Theresa lived her faith every day through her constant compassion to those in need, even getting arrested in Buffalo along with the Bishop of the St. Catharines Diocese during the Central American Refugee crisis in the 1980’s. There were days when we had no idea how many were coming for dinner. When “out on the town” in Hamilton or Toronto, she could be seen quietly stuffing a folded twenty-dollar bill into the hands of a homeless person. Theresa is survived by her husband Michael, her pet Newf, Shadow, brother Paul (Janet), in-laws Therese and Art Tessier, brother and sister in-law Gordon and Joanne and sister in-law Mary (Glen), uncles Jack Doherty and Jim Kennelly, longtime friend Maureen (Tom) and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents Joseph and Margaret Kennelly and brother Patrick.
Visitation and celebration of her life, well lived and loved, will take place at the P.X. Dermody Funeral Home, 796 Upper Gage Ave. (between Mohawk and Fennell) on Wednesday Oct 18th from 2 to 4pm and 7 to 9pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Augustine Church, 58 Sydenham St, Dundas, ON. on Thursday Oct 19th at 10am. Cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to Birthright of Hamilton or the Good Shepherd Center would be greatly appreciated. Or if you see a homeless person, please give them a $20 in Theresa’s memory, as she so often did. On-line condolences can be made to www.dermodys.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Theresa Rosemary Kennelly-Tessier, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

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