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In Loving Memory of Aggie O’Brien

Aggie O’Brien was Richmond’s Most Recognized Personality Aggie O’Brien dies this year [2005].  Undoubtedly Richmond’s most recognized personality, known throughout the village for her posters celebrating birthdays, holidays and special events. Aggie passed away in her sleep in the early morning of Wednesday, May 18, while a patient at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital in Nepean. The 18 year resident of the Richmond Lodge had undergone tests on the previous Monday, tests which revealed that her cancer had returned. Preparations were being made for Aggie to return to her home at the Lodge from the hospital, preparation which were never realized because of her death. A funeral attended by a capacity crows was held for Aggie O’Brien on Wednesday, May 25 at St. Paul’s United Church.  Cremation was followed by burial at St. Paul’s United Church cemetery on Perth Street. Aggie had not been seen around the village in the several months before her death as she had not been out walking around the visiting the various stores and businesses in Richmond as had been our custom over the years.  Who in Richmond had not been in a store such as Walters’ Valu-Mart or a bank when Aggie came in, calling out her greetings and chatting to whomever was listening. Aggie was “such a sweetheart”, says Eden Poirier, the activities director at the Richmond Lodge.  And everyone in Richmond would agree. Aggie was probably the greatest booster of the annual Richmond Fair. In the middle of the summer, she would be telling one and all in her walks around the village that the Fair was coming.  She would also be telling about her Fair entries. Her posters advertising the Fair popped up everywhere. It is small wonder that Aggie was made an honourary director of the Fair so that she could come and go as she liked, all in appreciation for her vocal publicity for the event. Aggie was also an honourary elder at St. Paul’s United Church. She loved to go to church on Sundays , and she invariable got a ride to got here.  It was Aggie’s childlike innocence and her way of taking pleasure from things that normally others just take for granted that made her so appealing.  For instance, she loved hearing her favourite song, “You’re My Best Friend”, sung by Don Williams.  And her excitement and joy was so great when she attended Kim Thompson’s wedding to which she received her own personalized invitation. It was the first wedding that she had ever attended. Aggie was first slowed down a little by cancer two years ago but it went into remission and she had resumed her regular walks around the village.  But last winter, she started getting pain in her hip and she fell at the Lodge,causing further complications. Aggie O’Brien, who was 70 at the time of her death, was from the Renfrew area.  She had been put into an orphanage in her youth after both of her parents had died, apparently in a train accident.  She has a brother who lives in Renfrew. She was at the Rideau Regional Hospital in Smith Falls for a time before living with a woman at a farm home west of Richmond for a number of years. She eventually came to live at the Richmond Lodge and it was at the Lodge where she blossomed, daily walking around the village and talking to one and all.  This is how she became known to virtually everyone in the village. -Article take from Sept. 2, 2005 Focus on Richmond published by the Stittsville News

Miss Me – But Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little - but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me – but let me go.

For this a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan
A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick at heart
Got to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me – but let me go.

-Unknown

Using Gifts to Make Richmond a Better Place to Live

Aggie O’Brien was special because she took the gift that she had and used it to make Richmond a better place.

This was the view of Pastor Jim MacInnes of the Grace Assembly in Richmond who spoke about Aggie and what she had contributed to her community for Richmond at the recent ceremony and dedicating a memorial bench in her honour at Memorial Park in the heart of Richmond.

Pastor Jim had likened Aggie and the use of her gift of making posters to a Biblical story of Moses whose gift to God on the occasion of the burning bush was the staff that he held in his hand.

Pastor Jim explained that Aggie’s gift for her community consisted of a package of crayons and a package of notepaper which she transformed into posters and in so doing gave her heart to the town and its residents. Each of our lives has been enriched by Aggie, Pastor Jim said.

He challenged those at the dedication ceremony, asking them what gift that they might have in their hand that could help make Richmond the greatest place to live. He told of Mallory Skinner who has been influenced by Aggie and has now donated over 200 teddy bears to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, helping to change lives there and in so doing making the world a better place to live.

Pastor Jim also told of Harmony Gardens of Richmond who took the gift they have in their hands, their landscaping expertise, and installed the Aggie O’Brien memorial bench, helping to make Richmond a better place to live.

He cited as well as those who had contributed funds for the purchase of the memorial bench, with $929 raised to date.  This sum has not only paid for the concrete bench but has resulted in extra monies that are being donated to the arts and crafts program at the Richmond Lodge where Aggie lived because of Aggie’s love for the program.

Pastor Jim said that all of these people - Aggie, Mallory Skinner, Harmony Gardens and the donors for the memorial bench - are people who are making Richmond a place that people want to call home.

Indeed, Pastor MacInnes even threw out the concept of Richmond perhaps becoming a community with a  bench dedicated to someone who has done something special for the community being on every corner in the community.

-Article take from Sept. 2, 2005 Focus on Richmond published by the Stittsville News

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