Obituary of Shelley Stewart Sweeney (Morency)

New Minas passed peacefully away at the age of 62 on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, after a long battle with the complications of Von Hippel Lindau syndrome. Born in Montreal, Quebec to Stuart and Barbara (Stewart) Morency on January 30, 1954, she moved with her family to Nova Scotia at the age of three. She lived and attended school in Cornwallis and Deep Brook until she graduated the secretarial program in the early 70s. It was while living there that she met the love of her life, Hank, and the two were married in 1977. They welcomed two children into their lives: Tracey in 1981 and Troy in 1982. She worked numerous secretarial and administrative jobs in Yarmouth, Wolfville, Kentville and New Minas, and retired as the office administrator at Ian A. Freake Inc. Chartered Accountants in 2007. She volunteered in the community with Victim Services, Block Parents, Girl Guides, and the school lunch program at New Minas Elementary. She was a proud soccer mom and an air cadet mom. In her spare time and in retired life, Shelley loved sewing, stitching, knitting, reading, gardening, and travel (especially anywhere that she could find a beach – she was an avid collector of sands from beaches all around the world). She leaves behind her husband of 39 years, Hank, her daughter, Tracey (Joey) Lawrence of Coldbrook; her son Troy (Nancy) of Enfield; her granddaughter, Molly Lawrence; her mother, Barbara Morency of Berwick; her sisters-in-law, Doreen (Ken) Bradley of Cole Harbour, and Edith (John) Rochon of Dartmouth; her nieces and nephews and their families; and extended family members and close friends. She was pre-deceased by her father, Stuart Morency; and her mother-in-law, Bernadiena Sweeney (nee Bruijns). At Shelley’s request, no funeral or service will be held. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date. Shelley wished that her body be donated to Von Hippel Lindau research - instead of family flowers, please give to the VHL Alliance to help fund research into this syndrome. Shelley’s family wishes to extend special thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at the QEII Halifax Infirmary for their care and help with Shelley’s condition, especially to Dr. Christie and Dr. Walling, her surgeons, to her niece Dr. Shannon Bradley who was her moral support and to Dr. Wood and Dr. O’Malley who ensured that her last wishes of tissue donation were fulfilled. Your support throughout Shelley’s battle has made us all thankful beyond words. "It is not the length of life but the depth of life." Ralph Waldo Emerson