Hello Rita, Goodbye Cecilia

Two things happened in the 2000s which led to my book idea: I met Rita Hughes in 2005 and in 2009, I went to Pembroke to attend the funeral of her aunt, Cecilia Cotnam.

 When I met Rita Hughes in Ottawa, she noticed my name and asked me if I happened to be related to her old teacher and her Aunt’s good friend, Mary Flynn, from Pembroke. Yes, indeed I replied although I told her I had never met the lady.

“She was very important to me” she said and began to tell me all the ways Mary Flynn had touched her life. As our friendship developed over time, Rita shared even more of her memories with me, showed me a card she had received from her- still in pristine condition. A few years later, when her Aunt Cecelia Cotnam died I wanted to attend the funeral to represent my Aunt and drove almost two hours to Pembroke from Ottawa for the funeral.

At the post-funeral reception, I was slowly surrounded by a group of adults and realized it was because they had been told to whom I was related. Stories and remembrances of Mary then began and one fellow, Bruce Pappin I believe, went home to retrieve a copy of the publication below for me. Cathedral School, where Mary had taught for 39 years was profiled in the 50th anniversary booklet.

I think the idea of this book was born the day Cecilia Cotnam was buried.

The Fiftieth Anniversary of the “New” Cathedral School- 130 Years at the Heart of Catholic Education in Pembroke. Produced in May, 2005 by Bruce Pappin.