Mary Crichton Vibert Douglas

Mary Crichton Vibert Douglas, beloved sister, aunt and great-aunt, died peacefully at St Joseph’s Villa, Dundas, Ontario, on March 15, 2022, surrounded by family and her devoted long-time caregiver, Cynthia Bagcal. Mary was predeceased by: parents, Olga and George; siblings, Elizabeth and John; sisters-in-law, Audrey and Marie-Claire; niece, Anne; and nephews, Paul and Alexander. She is survived by her brother, Patrick Douglas (Audrey); nieces, Sarah (Tom), Marianne (Chad), Krystyne (Deji), and Isabel (Matthew); nephews, John (Lilith), Stephen (Valerie), and Daniel (Caroline); and 15 great-nephews and great-nieces, Ainé and Brendan (Martin); Orion (Cleasby); Vivien, Hannah, and Gareth (Endicott-Douglas); Naomi, Nadia, James, Sophia, and Sami (Douglas-Najem); Isaac (Akinniyi); Aaron, Reuben, and Benjamin (Abogado). She is loved and fondly remembered by many close family and friends in England, Ireland, North America and throughout the world.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, November 2, 1926, Mary was the second daughter of four children to Olga Crichton and George Vibert Douglas. The family lived briefly in England, for three years in Spain, and for two years in Zambia, and then moved to Halifax in 1932 where her father was professor of geology at Dalhousie University. She attended Mount Allison School for Girls, then enrolled at Queen’s University where she completed her BA. She went on to do an MA in Geography at the University of Toronto, including a year at the Sorbonne. After some years working in Ottawa for the Arctic Institute—encouraged by her Aunt, Dr. Allie Vibert Douglas—she enrolled at Queen’s in medicine and in 1960 fulfilled her life-long dream of earning her medical degree. She specialized in family medicine, partnering with Dr. George Burrows at his practice at Jackson’s Point, Lake Simcoe for 25+ years. She worked for four years in Saudi Arabia and later did locums in Newfoundland, Northern Ontario, and British Columbia, often working for the United Church. She retired to Hamilton and continued to volunteer in community hospices.

Mary was known for her sense of adventure, warm and generous spirit, and her deep love for her family, friends, and community. Out of her life-long quest for spiritual understanding through meditation and peaceful, loving connections, she forged deep and meaningful friendships with people from all over the world. Mary was the consummate host, and frequent gatherings at her “places” were convivial and delightful occasions for her family and friends. Reading, poetry, sailing, hiking, and journaling were among some of her many interests. She was a great traveler of the world and skied avidly in the Alps, the Rockies, the Appalachians, and of course Quebec and Ontario. With her Aunt Allie she traversed the Khyber Pass twice in one day. She also loved Cape Breton and bought a house near Cheticamp, close to many friends and family.

The family owes enormous debts of gratitude to her caregivers of many years, Cynthia Bagcal, and April and Lorna Tumimbang. Special thanks to Heather Burrows-Davies for her care and support for Mary and family. We have greatly appreciated the care Mary received at St. Joseph’s Villa. In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory can be made to Doctors Without Borders or World Vision.

A Celebration of Mary’s life will take place at a future date.