It is with sadness that we announce the death of Hughena Macneil (nee Kennedy), of Fredericton, N.B. She died at age 87, on December 8, 2024, surrounded by her children.
Hughena was born in Inverness County, Cape Breton on Oct 11, 1937 to Archibald Kennedy and Catherine Florence (MacIsaac) of Dunvegan, NS. She is predeceased by her husband David, elder brothers John Archie and Ranald (Penny), her parents, and many beloved aunts and uncles. She is survived by her sister Christina Kendzoria (Lloyd, d) of Azilda, Ontario, her close cousin Eleanor (Neil, d), her children Leo (Kitty Maurey), Hugh, Catherine (Simon Corrin), Iain (Heather MacLean), and grandchildren Adi, Benjamin, and Samuel. Many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family will mourn her loss.
She graduated from Nova Scotia Teachers College ‘55-’56 and St Frances Xavier University ‘58-’61. She taught locally and in Alberta. With her own beloved car, she drove across the country to Edmonton, where she enjoyed her independence, including skiing in Banff and road trips all the way to Mexico.
Family called her closer to home, so she next attended University of New Brunswick ‘67-’68. She met her husband when they were graduate students at UNB where they courted over 10 cent cups of tea. They settled in Fredericton, where they raised their family.
Hughena was an energetic member of many organizations such as St. Dunstan’s Parish, and UNB. She had a passion for organizations supporting the education of young people.
She loved the arts: literature, visual art, drama, and dance. She loved music most of all, beginning with the fiddle tunes her father played at parties when she was young, tunes that stayed close to her heart all her life. The love of Gaelic Cape Breton music and culture lives on in her family.
She was a talented storyteller and she never met a person that she didn’t want to engage with in a searching conversation. Spirited and irrepressibly gregarious, she was a valued friend to many in every walk of life and in several countries around the world.
Hughena was a fierce advocate that everyone should be encouraged to share to the fullest their God-given talents.
She struggled with having dementia and the loss of independence that it brought. But she never lost her drive to connect with others, just her ability to do so. Her love of music, vocabulary, and her connections with family and friends persisted. Her children wish to express gratitude to the many caregivers on whom she depended in her last years.
Visitation will be held at Bishop’s Funeral Home on Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 2-4 pm. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Dunstan’s on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 2 pm, with a reception to follow at the Monsignor Boyd Family Centre. For those who cannot attend the mass in person, the funeral can be watched online by clicking the following link
St Mary Magdalene Parish Mass - YouTube
Hughena was an educator. For those who wish, donations in her memory may be made to the David and Hughena Macneil Scholarship fund administered by UNB Fredericton.