Obituary of Mae Forbes

Mae (Manthorne) Forbes Mae (Manthorne) Forbes died Friday November 6, 2015 in Bridgewater at the age of 105. She is survived by her daughter Janet of Boston, a cousin Phyllis Davidson in Oregon and numerous nieces and nephews in Canada and the U.S. Mae was the youngest daughter in a family of five brothers and sisters born to George & Nora Manthorne in Seal Harbor in 1910. Following high school she moved to Halifax. It was there she met and married Stan, an Engineering student. Shortly after their wedding they moved to Bridgewater where they made their home. Mrs. Forbes was active in the United Church assisting her husband as Treasurer for almost four decades. In order to save the church the cost of postage she paid all the bills in person and each December delivered the church envelopes for the coming year. She also taught a class of teenage boys in Sunday School where she served as Assistant Superintendent for many years. She was an active member of many of the Women’s groups within the church. In 1938 she joined the hospital auxiliary where she and the other ladies sewed most of the linens used by the hospital. When the Dawson Daisy opened she took over the Household Department volunteering three days a week for almost 75 years. For her long service she received the Caring Canadian award. Her walls were covered with framed certificates of appreciation from the Town, the Province and the Canadian government. She continued her service to the schools. Each fall prior to the Exhibition Parade, teachers enlisted her to sew costumes for their classes. She recalled with pride the year she made 42 penguin costumes from black and white crepe paper and the 5th grade class won first prize. Her hobby was knitting slippers and at the time of her death she had completed more than 2000 pairs. Her daughter traveled much of the world and her parents were treated to trips to 23 countries and sailed on 11 cruises. Mrs. Forbes always packed slippers on these trips and gave them to fellow travellers and others she met as tokens of appreciation. On one cruise on the Amazon River she brought along a suitcase of children’s and women’s cotton clothing because she had read prior to the cruise that these items were badly needed by a small village that had recently burned to the ground. She proudly told of opening her suitcase on the dock as the villagers lined up and waited patiently as she chose a piece of clothing for each one. When she returned home she arranged for several more boxes be sent to the cruise line to deliver. These boxes included men’s clothing and toys for the children as well as basic first aid supplies plus fish hooks and fishing lines. Her long time wish was that there be no funeral service when she died. Instead Janet will honor her request that several gatherings of friends be held. Many years before she died she provided her daughter with the name of those to invite. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Sweeny’s Funeral Home, Bridgewater. Anyone wishing to remember Mrs. Forbes may do so by making a donation to the Dawson Daisy or the Lunenburg County Home Care. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.sweenysfuneralhome.com.