04/27/2025
Katherine (Kay) Alice Steele Sinnott - Morell
On April 24, 2025, surrounded by loved ones, Kay was received into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Born February 19, 1934, in her grandparents’ house in Bangor, PEI. Kay was a homebody from birth, moving only as far as her beloved Morell, where she lived her entire life.
During her childhood, Kay’s sisters were responsible for indoor chores and, as Kay was the “tomboy” of the family, she assisted her brother with the farm chores, played baseball and “King o’ the Hill” with friends, and loved coasting on Kelly’s hill across the road. She attended the red schoolhouse next door to her home before attending Notre Dame Academy in Charlottetown, where she graduated with her teacher’s license. Kay returned to Morell to teach at that very same red schoolhouse for several years before beginning a job at Morell Scotiabank. While working at Scotiabank, Kay became engaged to her future husband, Clem, and after marrying, became a full time homemaker to four little Sinnotts. These were busy years filled with parenting, baking MANY batches of homemade bread, school activities, sports, church, and numerous community obligations.
When her own children were in their teenage years and older, Kay took on the role of babysitter to a few local children for several years before her focus shifted to caring for her elderly mother, and then her husband Clem, in their final years. A widow at 60, Kay’s next few years were filled with sleepovers with childhood friends, games of Skip-Bo and 45’s, road trips to beaches, strawberry fields, ceilidhs and apple orchards, and many such adventures, happily showcasing “her island” with visiting relatives from near and far. Longer trips included a trans-Canada CN Rail trip to Alberta with her sister Ginny, and numerous CWL conventions across Canada.
The arrival of grandchildren meant more driving and many more sleepovers, now held at Grammie’s house. Kay’s grandsons spent weekends and summers with her for several years before her granddaughter arrived to join the mix. Grammie’s house was once again filled with the sounds of kids playing inside, or more likely outside, playing games, climbing trees, having bonfires, and exploring the woods and trails behind her house. Kay also spent much of this time with her brother Joe, and brother-in-law Terry, shuttling carloads of folks to family and community gatherings, doctor appointments, hardware stores, or simply on scenic drives around the countryside.
During every decade of her life, Kay was athletic and loved being outdoors. Upon turning 80, she proclaimed she was giving up cross-country skiing, ice skating, and riding her bicycle. She never retired from pulling weeds, raking leaves, shoveling snow off the patio, or instructing others on the proper way to do her endless list of chores. Her life’s motto was, “Work Will Win,” and she certainly exemplified this to her final days.
One constant in Kay’s life was her Catholic faith. Over her lifetime, she volunteered for decades as First Communion catechism teacher, choir member, lay distributor, parish book store organizer, and chapel devotee. Kay was a founding member of St Teresa of the Little Flower parish’s “Prayer Line,” a network of people who would pray for their fellow parishioners. Kay kept a notebook of incoming requests over the years, and received prayer requests from all over the world, numbering in the thousands.
As a lifelong member of the Catholic Women’s League, Kay was a faithful volunteer at church events. For Morell CWL’s biggest annual fundraiser, it seemed that Kay had a perpetuity of raffle tickets on “a beautiful homemade quilt” stashed in her purse, always at the ready to make a sale! Receiving her CWL service pin was one of the highest honours of Kay’s life.
Kay was a noted local archivist, scrapbooker, and prolific letter writer, never reading The Guardian without a pair of scissors in her hand! Extended family near and far were recipients of lovingly mailed news clippings and handwritten notes from “Aunt Kay” - even in the age of email and texting.
In her final years, Kay’s wish was to remain in the home she and Clem built, and this was made possible due to the care she received through private care, PEI’s provincial home care program, her family, and her extended community in Morell. Visits from dear friends Anne, Mary (George), Daphne, Barb, Marg, and Vivien were highlights for Kay, who loved to receive visitors and share a cup of tea. Special thanks go to Kay’s daily caregivers during her last year at home, Kandace, Samara, Kelsey, Darcy, Brianna and Brenda, to Father Blair Bernard for his hospital visits and prayers, to Island EMS, QEH Emergency and Unit 2 staff, and Drs. Shea, Cheverie, and Ellis, who provided exemplary and compassionate care to Kay in her final days.
Kay was predeceased by her husband, Clem, her siblings and in-laws Joan (Terry Chapman), Juel (Jim McAleer), Joe (Carol, Eleanor) Steele, and Ginny (Ernie Grant), and daughter-in-law, Bethanie Sinnott. She is survived by her children, Bill (Della), Paula, Jeff, and Patti (Chris); Grandchildren, Devan, Brady (Bella), Matthew (Olivia), Katie (Ai), and Owen; sister-in-law, Rachel (Sinnott) Green; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including cherished cousin, Rosemary, and special niece and neighbour Catherine.
Resting at North Shore Funeral Home, Morell for visitation Sunday, April 27, 2025 between 4 and 7pm. Funeral mass will take place on Monday, April 28, 2025 11:00am, at St Teresa,The Little Flower Roman Catholic Church, Morell. Interment in the parish cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please perform a kind gesture for a senior in your community in Kay’s memory. Donations can be made to St. Teresa, The Little Flower cemetery fund.
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”
Note: While condolences are welcome on this FB page, it is recommended that online condolences are best made on the North Shore Funeral Home website, to be sure the family will see them. See the link below:
https://www.northshorefuneralhome.ca/obituary/KatherineKay-Sinnott
