MANSON, Jacqueline Nora
“Jackie”
Halifax. Family and friends are mourning the loss of Nora Jacqueline Gould Manson. Holding her son’s hand, Jackie returned to Spirit, quietly and with dignity, at VG Site, QEII, Halifax, on Sunday, February 18, 2024. Born in Halifax on March 19, 1932, she was in her 92nd year. Jackie was predeceased by husband, George R. Manson; parents, Claude and Norah (Peitzsche) Gould; half-brother, Gary Thompson; sister, Maxine; and stepson, George Manson Jr. She will be forever loved and missed by her son, Robinson (Vanessa) Manson; grandsons, Connor and Liam Manson; brother, Lcdr. William Gould, (Ret’d) RCN, CD; sister, Barbara (Lesley Jones) Gould; niece, Katherine (Larry) Savoie; nephews, Richard (Chris) Gould, Ross (Debbie) Gould, and Bruce (Gina) Thompson; sister-in-law, Margaret Thompson; stepchildren, Sharon Manson Singer, Melissa Manson and Robert Manson; and goddaughter, Jacqui Kidd. Jackie was a sensitive, empathic, inquisitive, intuitive child and an A+ student. A talented and precocious child, she was a born dancer and could draw anything from memory. She loved listening to radio and records, but her favourite entertainment was Saturday afternoon at the movies with her Aunt Gladys. A province-wide vocational guidance test of Grade 8 students showed Jackie had a genius-level IQ. Her principal was horrified that her star pupil had no interest in being a nurse or a teacher; Jackie wanted to be a movie star! She won a full scholarship to NSCAD but opted for Commercial School. After graduation Jackie found secretarial work, and for fun, taught ballroom dancing at Arthur Murray’s. Jackie moved to Montreal, and danced at various nightclubs, including the famed El Morocco, where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Eartha Kitt, Tony Bennett, and Sammy Davis Jr. She completed courses in Fashion and Costume Design and earned a Diploma in Aesthetics from the Edith Serei Academy. In the 1960s, she lived and worked in Toronto, designing costumes and wedding dresses. She met George in 1964. It was with the birth of their son, that Jackie found her reason for being. George bought a house in King City. He, Jackie, and Robinson; and his first family - young Georgie, Sharon, Melissa, and Robert - built a life together. Jackie loved all the children, and they were good together, but eventually, she returned to Halifax with Robinson and opened the first aesthetics skin care and hairdressing salon in Nova Scotia, All About Faces. In retirement, Jackie’s love of all things Spanish took her to Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica. She traveled frequently to San Miguel de Allende to study painting within the arts community. She exhibited her art and sold pieces into private collections. Her deep and abiding love for children and their well-being guided her throughout her life. She obtained her certification to teach English as a second language to Spanish speaking children and usually boarded with families while wintering in the south, teaching the children English when she wasn’t painting. She changed many lives and still receives correspondence to this day. The births of her devoted grandsons, Connor and Liam, renewed her energy and sense of purpose and she cherished every minute spent with them. In her final years Jackie remained independent with the support of her homecare workers and her son. She played music, danced with her walker, watched Jeopardy, shopped online, and talked every day with her sister Barbara in British Columbia, and her big brother Bill in Camp Hill Veteran’s Hospital. She was always good for a rant on just about any perceived injustice. She took great delight in providing her astonished caregivers with impromptu Spanish lessons. Jackie, never a churchgoer, practiced meditation, and, given that she believed in reincarnation, believed deeply in living “her best life”. A celebration of life will be held April 20th, 12–3 p.m. at The Saraguay House, 2308 Purcell’s Cove Rd., Halifax.
Siempre en nuestros corazones, Jacquita.