Brigid Hill

Brigid Mary Hill (nee Donnellan) passed away on Saturday, October 15, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta. She was, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was eighty-six years old, just shy of her eighty-seventh birthday. Born to Michael and Ellen Donnellan in Dublin, Ireland, Brigid emigrated to England on her own at the age of sixteen after her father convinced her that a better future lay ahead if she left Ireland.  In England, she  trained to become a Nurse Aide and settled in Leicester. While living and working in Leicester, she married.

In 1959, Brigid and her husband emigrated to Canada, landing in Toronto to start a family. Brigid and her husband separated and later divorced in the early 1970s. During the day, Brigid raised her five children on her own in the Brampton and Bramalea area. At night, she cared for the elderly, working at Peel Manor assisted living centre in Brampton until retirement. In later years, Brigid lived in Manotick, Ontario and then Airdrie and Calgary, Alberta. 

Brigid was an avid walker. She never learned to drive so initially out of necessity, she walked, be it to go shopping, attend church or visit friends. She enjoyed memorable walks in Big Hill Springs provincial park in Alberta with children and grandchildren.  In later years, she enjoyed walking and shopping at Value Village thrift shop (affectionately known as “VV Boutique”) with her daughter-in-law Lydia.  Family was a focus for Brigid and she regularly visited her brothers Tom and John in Ireland until their passing. In later years, she enjoyed visits from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and nothing made her smile brighter if those visits included delivery of a Tim Horton’s jelly filled donut and a cup of tea. 

Brigid is lovingly remembered by her five children, Matthew (Lydia) , Patrick (Nobuko),  Rebecca (John), Barney (Kristin) and John (Adrienne); as well as grandchildren Amanda, Heidi, Terry, Christopher, Elisha, Brittany, Gregory, Hailey, Sean, Veronica, Declan, Vanessa and Justin; and great-grandchildren Kiran, Mikayla, Maddox, Everly and Mason.  

While spending most of her life with family living in Canada, Brigid wished to spend eternity close to where she started her journey. Her ashes will be spread in Ireland at a later date.