Mary Katherine Mcavoy

A Life to Celebrate

Today, we gather in love and remembrance of Mary Katherine McAvoy, whose quiet strength, compassion, and unwavering generosity touched all who knew her. Born May 19, 1951, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Edward and Katherine McAvoy, and raised alongside her older siblings Judy, Nancy, and John. Mary was shaped by strong values, deep cultural roots, and a profound sense of responsibility.

After earning her nursing degree, Mary began a lifelong journey of service—first in Fort Smith, NWT, and later in Whitehorse, Yukon, where she lived for over 30 years. Known affectionately as “ChemoMary,” she was the territory’s first chemotherapy nurse, offering skillful, heartfelt care. She helped countless Yukoners through some of their most difficult moments, and her impact on the territory’s cancer care community cannot be overstated.

Mary raised her children—Sheila, Talitha, and Matt—with fierce love and embraced her stepchildren Cindy-Anne, Wendy, William, Christine, John, and Karen with the same devotion. Her love was constant, her wisdom quiet but powerful, and her presence a steady comfort.

To her multitude of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Mary was a storyteller, a picker of dandelion bouquets, a baker of birthday cakes, a steady presence, and a hand to hold. She will be remembered by her beloved great-grandchild Atticus and grandchildren Lexie, Joshua, Cheylsea, Kaitlynn, Tayler, Mackenzie, John, Anna, Josie, and Freddy.

To friends, she was the one who remembered birthdays, offered quiet encouragement, and gave the best advice, sometimes with just a glance. Her home was a sanctuary, and her presence a calming comfort to all.

Mary’s love of music, theatre, baking, and gardening reflected her joy in life’s simple pleasures. With her partner, Michael Purves, she later moved to Victoria, BC, where she continued her work in cancer care and built new connections rooted in kindness and humility. Her capacity for connection never waned. Her kindness was not performative; it was who she was.

Her philanthropy was quiet but impactful, driven not by recognition but by a deep belief in doing what’s right. She gave freely, loved deeply, and lived with grace.

Though we feel her absence deeply, Mary’s legacy lives on in every act of kindness, every tradition passed down, and every life she touched. We honour her not only with sorrow, but with gratitude—for her life, her love, and the enduring light she leaves behind.