Mary Elizabeth Woodsworth

May 13, 1951- December 16, 2014 After a courageous battle with cancer, Mary passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 with her friends of many years at her bedside. Mary was the youngest child of Bruce and Fannie Woodsworth and the granddaughter of C.S. Woodsworth, cofounder of the C.C.F. (now the N.D.P.) Party. She graduated from U.B.C. with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Chinese Studies in 1974. She was thrilled to visit China in 1994 and finally have an opportunity to practice her Mandarin. Mary was a unique person who marched to the beat of her own drum. An animal lover from an early age, she often said that she felt more comfortable around animals than people. Her dream was to live in the Cariboo where she owned property and to care for homeless animals. Mary took a keen interest in saving the environment, and she has left many bequests to organizations that are working to preserve the environment. Mary grew up in the Okanagan (Westbank), and her wish at the end of her life was to return to the area where her two brothers who predeceased her by many years are buried. Many thanks for the care and compassion shown to Mary by the doctors, nurses and volunteers at the Victoria Hospice while she was there. At Mary’s request there will not be a funeral. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to an environmental organization of your choice.