LAIRD, Ronalda Elizabeth

Ronalda Elizabeth Laird

Ronalda Elizabeth Laird, born in Hampton, New Brunswick, on July 21, 1970, passed away peacefully in Northern Ontario, surrounded by friends, on Friday, June 2nd, 2023, after a short but bright battle with cancer.

Ronalda left behind a powerful legacy of love, family, and community in her daughter Rebecca, her partner John, her seven siblings, and countless other close family members and friends. She was a woman of strength, fortitude, generosity, passion, spirit, kindness and love, and her impact on the lives of those who she touched cannot be understated. She was involved in her
community, gave everything of herself to others, and touched more people with her generosity than we can ever know.

Over the course of her 52 years, she experienced a full and happy life. She grew up as part of a large family in Hampton, the youngest of seven. She raised her daughter, Rebecca, for 32 wonderful years. She was together with her partner, John, for almost 10 years.

Ronalda proved herself driven and talented from a young age, pushing herself to become fully bilingual in French through schooling, and then applying herself to join the budding information technology industry in an early era when it was even more rare for a woman to join the field. She balanced a successful career with a truly inspiring dedication to raising her daughter, whom she made the centre of her world.

Seeking more for their future, Ronalda and her daughter set down new roots in the Toronto area for much of their lives, but she never lost touch with her hometown of Hampton, where her heart and soul truly rested.

Ronalda was the type of social butterfly who was eager to make new connections. She burned bright and fast in the lives of countless people. She was committed to forming close bonds with her family, with whom she was always in close touch, despite any amount of distance. She found friends in neighbours, in co-workers, in travel companions, and anywhere she went; friends who became like a second family.

She focused her passions on spending time in nature and rejoicing in all the splendour Mother earth has to offer. She was an avid baker, a fantastic chef, a patient knitter, an occasional soap maker, and so much more.

Ronalda was a proud member of the Mi’kmaq nation. Her vocation was working on the resurgence of the Anishnaabe way of life and practices, as a bundle-carrier, and as a part of the Turtle Clan.

She was a committed companion to her partner, an affectionate sister to her siblings, a grateful child to her parents. She was the most loving mother that a daughter could have ever asked for.

Her heart was housed in the people around her, and she will live on through them, in their hearts and actions. Her life was full of passion and love and will be celebrated and cherished forever.

A Mississauga, ON based visitation is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 8th with a public viewing from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at St. John’s Dixie Cemetery, Visitation Centre and Chapel, located at 737 Dundas Street E, Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 2B5. Flowers, donations, and condolences may be sent to St. John’s Dixie.

A Hampton, NB based visitation is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 10th at Reid’s Funeral Home, with a public viewing from 11:00pm – 1:00pm, followed by her burial in St. Alphonsus Cemetery at 2:00pm. Flowers, donations, and condolences may be sent to Reid’s Funeral Home.

5 replies
  1. Cemone
    Cemone says:

    You were an angel 😇 here on earth and I thank God for meeting you. You had such a big beautiful heart and I just can’t accept that you are gone . Rip my friend I will forever love and miss you. You were there for me when no one else was with my children and for that I am so thankful for you 💛. Love cemone and family.

    Reply
  2. Thorfin
    Thorfin says:

    For blue sky woman
    Reflecting on water
    From the place of the unborn dharmakaya
    Great,Vajradhara, arise!
    From the place of the unceasing sambhogakaya,
    Tilo and Naro and Mukpo the crazy wisdom masters arise all genuine hearted warriors arise for our sisters and brothers for the fallen for those in distress arise for all sentient beings arise and grant your blessings Miigwech.
    From the place of the unbinding narmanakaya Kagyu and Nyingma Siddhas, arise!
    In the realm of no death and no one to die,
    In the state of luminous muhamudra, please arise and grant your blessings help us all the time Miigwech.
    Guide this consciousness
    This precious simplicity
    This quite continuance
    Welcomed by oceans of dakinis
    Born on eagles wings
    Greeted by her ancestors
    Loved by all her relations
    Luminosity and light
    Conducted by Kagyu and Nyingma gurus.
    Arise and grant your blessings
    Miigwech
    Lead this precious being into the primordial state. Miigwech
    May this body of five skandhas be transmuted into the five wisdom’s
    May we perform the ceremony of sukhavati
    May we sing our songs in the lodge forever
    May we smoke our pipes
    May we laugh and cry
    Miigwech
    My beloved body
    I offer you as food
    since there is no giver or receiver
    in the flame of simplicity
    In this sacred fire
    Guru and disciple are one
    You have always been loved
    Bring light into darkness
    You have always belonged to the earth
    Luminosity and love
    Aho om ma ni padme hum Miigwech
    Kiki so so

    Thorfin of the Mukpo Clan a genuine hearted warrior a seed seeking the light

    Reply
  3. Alessia Sementilli
    Alessia Sementilli says:

    Rebecca,

    It saddens me to hear the loss of your mother. A very sweet, generous and grounded soul indeed. Though I am sadly unable to attend the visitations, please know that I am offering my greatest condolences to you and your family.

    Wishing you well and all the best.

    Alessia Sementilli (Lesh)

    Reply

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