Charlotte (Stuart) Gowan took her leave on Tuesday,March 19, 2024 after a brief illness, surrounded by family at the Saint John Regional Hospital at the age of 94.
Charlotte was a daughter of the late Stillman and Phyllis (Wilkins) Stuart. She grew up on the Old Bay Road and attended Crocker Hill School and later graduated from St. Stephen High School in 1945. She worked one summer at the Cotton Mill in Milltown, graduated from the St. Stephen Business College run by Miss M. T. Crabbe and went to work in the office at DeWolfe Hardware. She met Norman at a dance at the Crystal Palace and the rest is history.
She loved entertaining and always had food on the table and cookies in the can. She cooked and served her last Sunday dinner for family and others nine days before her death. Annual family picnics at the Gowan farm in Elmsville continued for two generations thanks to her. This tradition will continue.
Charlotte had a deep and abiding faith in God and was a life-long member of the Anglican Church, telling family years later that she walked from her childhood home on the top of the hill on the Old Bay Road to Christ Church on Prince William Street in town twice on Sundays – church in the morning, Sunday School in the afternoon. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, served with the Anglican Church Women, the Altar Guild, Bethany and Outreach Committee, as parish treasurer, took care of the Our Daily Bread daily devotional books and did many other things.
She was a long-time member of the Order of the Eastern Star St Stephen Chapter 8.
She worked at DeWolfe Hardware until she became a mother. She and Norman settled into life together in the former Andrew Pomeroy home at 169 Union Street.
Norman passed in 2001 after 49 years of marriage.
Charlotte worked outside her home after her youngest child started school, working at St. Stephen and Milltown Elementary Schools, the Metropolitan Store, Lawson Motors and the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
She knit sweaters for Quartermain’s Woolens, earning an extra 50 cents for sewing in the zippers. She knit sweaters, mittens, socks and scarves for her family. She was a 30-year cancer survivor.
She is survived by sons, Derwin, Leslie and Stuart (Jennifer) Gowan, daughters, Sharon Gowan and Katherine (Kevin) Cleghorn, grandchildren, Jessica Lawrence (Steve), Philip (Jenny), Clark, Parker and Sam Gowan; great-grandchildren Lucas, Landon and Lilly Gowan, Mack, Nash and Charlotte (Lottie) Lawrence, sister Sally Smith, sister-in-law Shirley Stuart, many nieces, nephews, cousins, church family and friends.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was also predeceased by her step-mother Elizabeth (Wilkins) Stuart; brothers Albert (Sheila), Jack (Betty), Joseph (Bessie), Vincent and Stillman Stuart; sister, Shirley Matheson (Leonard), brother-in-law, Jack Smith and Norman’s twelve siblings and their spouses.
The family would like to thank Dr. Lesley Pinder who looked after Mom’s health for many years, and staff on 3C North, Saint John Regional Hospital, including Dr. Smith for kind and attentive care in her final week.
Funeral service will be held at the Christ Anglican Church, Prince William Street, St Stephen, N.B. on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 11 AM. Visiting hours will be held at The S.O. Mehan & Son Funeral Home Ltd, 23 Main Street St Stephen, NB on the evening of Monday March 25, 2024 from 6 – 8 PM. St Stephen Chapter # 8 O.E.S will hold a tribute service on Monday at 5:45 PM.
Interment will be at the Lower Elmsville Historic Cemetery, Johnson Settlement, NB at 2:15 PM on Tuesday March 26, 2024.
For those who wish, donations to The Anglican Parish of St Stephen, Cancer Society, IWK Foundation or charity of one’s choice would be greatly appreciated. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.mehanfuneralhome.ca