Pauline died peacefully surrounded by family and friends in St Martha’s Hospital after a long illness. She was born in 1941 in Romford, Essex, UK, the only child of Mary Ellen and Francis James Adams. She spent her childhood in Greenwich, London. UK and attended the Mary Datchelor Girls’ school, to which she won a scholarship. Her first job was in the chemical inspectorate at Woolwich Arsenal, UK where she worked with microscopic fungi. She married Peter Henry Dennis in 1962 and moved to Whittlesey, UK with their three children in 1974. Peter was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in 1977. She spent four years as a county councillor whilst working in the passport office in Peterborough. Moving to Oakham in Rutland she began an amateur career on the stage gaining multiple awards for her acting and directing. She spent time in the Stamford Shakespeare Company based at Tolthorpe, a 16th century estate in the UK, with an open-air performance space. Highlights were her performances of Mistress Quickly (The Merry Wives of Windsor) and Mistress Overdone (Measure for Measure).
In 1992 she came to Canada with her new partner Bernard, whom she married in 1993. She spent many happy years working in Theatre Antigonish under the guidance of Addy Doucette and had two seasons with Festival Antigonish. She met Pam Calabrese MacLean, and they formed Company Calabrese. Together they toured with MacLean’s award-winning play Her Father's Barn to the international theatre festival Victoria BC and London ON. She won many awards for her acting and directing. She worked closely with students at StFX and members of CACL and with Sister Lillian Gaudet and her music students to spread her love of performance. For ten years, her Harbour Players group performed at dinner-theater events fundraising for non-profit organizations. She was a very enthusiastic and committed volunteer and Pauline received formal recognition from both the Province and Antigonish County for her volunteer work. She was a founding member of the RK MacDonald nursing home foundation, a member of the friends of the RK, she served on the boards of Theatre Antigonish and Mulgrave Road Theatre company, she also worked with the St Martha’s Regional Hospital Auxiliary and became President of the Nova Scotia Association of Health Auxiliaries for 2017-2018. In 2017 she fulfilled a lifelong ambition and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from St FX. In her spiritual journey she became a member of the Parish of Three Harbours, worshiping at St Paul’s where she became a Lay Minister and chair of the parish council.
She leaves behind Bernard, her husband of 29 years, and her children Nicki (Karen), Simon (Nikki) and Joanna (Brendan) and her stepchildren Tim (Lois), Damian (Tracy) and Nicky (Ian) and her 10 grandchildren (Rebekah, Victoria, Ethan, Dan, Megan, Ciara, Gavin, Jack, Emma, Hawksley). She was predeceased by her first husband Peter and her stepson Justin.
The family would like to thank the Palliative care team at St Martha’s for their exceptional care and kindness to Pauline and her family. They are all fantastic.
The burial has already taken place and a celebration of Pauline’s remarkable life will be held at a later date. If you wish to consider a donation in her memory, then please donate to the Kidney Cancer Canada Association (www.kidneycancercanada.ca).