BROOKBANK, Elinor Margaret

Elinor Margaret (Peg) Brookbank, daughter of Frederick Lewis Blair and Olive Dolena Fraser, born 20 April 1928 in New Glasgow, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2024, in Halifax, NS. Her father was transferred to Newfoundland in 1932, so Peg had all her schooling in St. John’s, NL. She had one year at Memorial University College before entering into the Nursing School at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, QC (1946). After graduation in 1949, she worked at the NS Sanitorium in Kentville and as a Public Health Nurse in Kings and Annapolis Counties. Following this, she took a Public Health course at Dalhousie University. In 1951, she married T Keilor Bentley, and their two daughters followed. Later, she worked in Victoria County and then Halifax. She was with the Registered Nurses’ Association of N.S. for 23 years, in the area of Social and Economic Welfare. She initiated collective bargaining for (nongov’t) nurses and negotiated the first 24 contracts. She retired in December 1989. She was a Lifetime Honorary Member of the College of Nurses of NS, NS Nurses’ Union, Occupational Health Nurses. She served on the Board of St. David’s Church, the Public Health Association, the I.A.E., and the Genealogical Association of NS. She was an amateur genealogist, liked sewing, reading, bridge, puzzles and music. She leaves to mourn two daughters, Christine (Constantin) and Jean (Claude); brother, Dale (Shirley); four grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents; her sister, Olive Verne and brother, Norval Russell; sister-in-law, Eleanor. A memorial gathering for family is planned. Condolences may be sent to the family at: jeannie4ojb@gmail.com