In Memory of

Catherine

McDonell

Obituary for Catherine McDonell

Catherine McDonell (née LaBine) passed peacefully in her 97th year at her Ottawa home, after a struggle with Vascular Dementia. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert James McDonell; mother of Jamie, Rosalie, John (Helen), Bryan (Clare) and Paul; and grandmother of John's daughters Elizabeth and Alexandria, and of Bryan's sons Noah and Sam. Catherine is also survived by one sister, Olive Powers, who resided with her; niece Mary Powers, and nephews Anthony LaBine, Michael Brennan and Daryl LaBine; and other nieces and nephews. Catherine was the daughter of the late James LaBine and the late Winifred Hurley LaBine. Catherine was predeceased by her sister Margaret Brennan (late Pete); her brothers Eric (late Reina), Ronald (late Cecile) and Gladstone (late Lorraine); and by her nephew Darcy LaBine and niece Erica LaBine Fox. Catherine was a particular friend of Donald and the late Sharon Cameron, and godmother to their son Brennan.
Past president of the St. Raphael's council of the Catholic Women's League of Canada, Catherine was an 80 year member of the CWL and member of the Our Lady of Fatima (Ottawa) CWL at the time of her death.
From 1942 to 1948 Catherine was a civilian coder/decoder with the Royal Canadian Navy Signals Branch. From 1948 to the end of 1954 she was a senior coder/decoder with the Communications branch of the National Research Council, which later became the Communications Security Establishment.
In her later years, Catherine worked through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a volunteer at the Britannia Woods Food Pantry (1992-2014).
Catherine was a larger-than-life character, known for her pranks with handstands at Halloween into her 60s, her sense of humour, and her force and energy in all she did.
Relatives and friends may call at the Munro & Morris Funeral Homes Ltd., 114 Main St. South, Alexandria (613-525-2772) on Friday June 28, 2019 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm and on Saturday from 9:30 am – 10:30 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Raphael's Catholic Church on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 11 am. Interment of cremated remains will take place at a later date in the Parish Cemetery. As expressions of sympathy Memorial Donations to the St. Vincent de Paul food drive would be appreciated by the family. As a memorial to Catherine a tree will be planted in a memory woods. A tree grows-memories live.