Obituary of Phyllis Ann Mackenzie
Phyllis Ann MacKenzie, a resident of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, passed away very unexpectantly on August 20, 2025, in hospital in Windsor. She was only 73 years old and left us way too soon.
She leaves behind her husband Gerry Ridgeway and her stepfamily (Justine Ridgeway and husband Shawn Bonaparte and their two children, Liam Bonaparte and Gabrielle (Gabby) Bonaparte, residing in Greenwood NS, and Katelyn (Kate) Ridgeway residing in Sechelt, BC). She also leaves behind her brother Roger and his wife Nancy MacKenzie, her nephew Andrew and his wife Joyce and their two children Rose and Linus, and her niece Kate and her husband Jamie, all residents of Ottawa. She will be remembered fondly by several cousins in PEI and Halifax.
She was predeceased by her parents, Colin and Jane (maiden name Morrison) MacKenzie.
Phyllis was born in PEI on February 28, 1952, almost a leap year baby. Her early education was in a one-room schoolhouse before moving on to Montague Regional High School. She then left PEI to earn a B.A. from Acadia University. Upon returning to PEI after graduating from Acadia, she became a PEI Public Service employee, spending most of her working life with the Tourism Department. She met Gerry, also a PEI Public Service employee, in mid-career and they married in 2004. After they retired, they relocated to Wolfville, home of both their Alma Maters, in 2011.
Phyllis’s home reflected her many gifts – she was a talented cook, seamstress and decorator, with a true eye for detail and beauty. She and Gerry cherished their time walking the beaches of PEI, and she especially enjoyed discovering new restaurants and cuisines, always ready to share a great meal and a glass of wine or beer with family and friends.
Phyllis was also an avid reader of mystery and crime novels, kept well-informed on current events, and had a lifelong passion for music – especially the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, and Ian Tyson.
Her Ottawa relatives have many pleasant memories of time with Phyllis during their many trips to PEI, and later Nova Scotia, over the span of over 40 years. To mention a few: generously giving up her home when Andrew and Kate were young, beach days, lobster feasts, welcoming them into her friendship circle, her wedding with its subset of memories, vineyard tours, seafood cooking lessons. Also, Andrew and Kate were beneficiaries of her seamstress skills and are in possession of some of her heirloom creations.
The family will gather for a private celebration of her life at a later date, when her ashes will be lovingly laid to rest.
