Our beloved Mom, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Gertrude (Gale) Gillis died on Saturday, October 18, 2025. She was 9 days short of her 96th birthday. Her life saw 9 Catholic Popes, 5 British Monarchs,15 Canadian Prime Ministers and 16 American Presidents, but the light of her life was family. She was the matriarch to a large extended family and group of friends who looked to her for her quiet sage wisdom, sometimes delivered with a dry wit or an old saying like, " 'O wad some power the giftie gie us / to see ourselves as others see us".

Gertrude was the heart of our home and family – in fact, she was 'home'. She raised seven children in a loving and happy home to be independent and thoughtful adults, Michael, Alfred (Cathy), Tony (Judy), Peter (Angela), Caroline (Ronald) Wall, Mary (Barry) AuCoin, Leila and close family friend Betty Tilley (Paul). As a grandmother to Daniel (Lateesha), Oliver (Emily), Robert (Joannah), Lori (Greg), Glen (Wendy), Patrick (Sarah), Lukas (Jenay), Bradley and Blaine (Hadija) and Great-Grandchildren, Ava, Emma, Emmett, Anthony, June, Violette, Ephraim, Daisy, Maria, Lilah, Norah and Olivia there was an endless supply of delicious meals and molasses buns and cakes when they came to visit.

In 1954, Gertrude Gale married her beloved, Michael Gillis who preceded her in death in 2000. Gertrude was also predeceased by her parents, Afra and Catherine (Kate) Gale, her brothers, Robert, Gordon, Peter and Johnny and her cherished sisters: Rita (Kevin) Doyle and Dorothy (Joseph) Oliver and her grandson Andrew Gillis and granddaughter Nicole Gillis. She was also predeceased by her brothers in Law, Wallace (Gladice); Alfred (Bertha) and sisters-in-law, Mary (Walter), Anne (Dan) and Leila (Wallace).

Gertrude was the heart and soul of our family and she will be dearly missed.

In keeping with her wishes, cremation has taken place. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, October 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 22, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church in Upper Ferry with Father Prakash presiding. Interment will follow at Mount St. Thomas Roman Catholic Cemetery in Great Codroy.