Bits of her - Mary McQuaid

I first met Mary McQuaid early on in my career when I worked with the provincial government but as luck would have it, we eventually got to become colleagues once again in 2016. 

She was so kind to me when I was fresh into my ‘Comms’ career with the Government of PEI. She worked in the legislature and I worked at PEI Business Development (now Innovation PEI).  

We became instant friends and I knew if I ever had questions, no matter how big or small, I could reach out to her and she would gladly respond.  

I was so happy when we were reunited many years later and got to become even better friends. She is a work mom to many but to me she has been a wonderful mentor and supportive friend. She has helped me through some really tough years and I am forever grateful she was there for me. 

When we hit the topic of makeup, she said she doesn’t wear it too often but if she had to pick two products to bring with her to a remote Island, it would be from Clinique. Their moisturizing foundation and lipstick. Great choices, Mary! 

When asked how she feels when she does have some makeup on she explained, “Makeup can raise my morale and give me that extra boost of confidence.” Between you and I, Mary does not need makeup to be confident, she does that all on her own, so I imagine it pops a little extra swag in her step when she does. 

A piece of advice she shared that I found interesting is that if you place your packaged pantyhose in the freezer before wearing them, they will last longer. I don’t know how many times I have had holes or runs in my pantyhose so this is one piece of advice I am going to test drive. 

Do you know what is so fascinating about Mary besides her absolute love for potato chips and obsession with all things related to outer space, is that she wrote a book. She was the ghost writer of Marion Reid’s book, These Roots Run Deep.

While she admits that aging does scare her, she says that it scares her less as she ages. “I think that’s called wisdom – or simply acceptance," she explained. Plus, she would never want to be in her 20s again with all the doubt and bluster that comes along with being that age but divulges how much fun she did had during those years. 

As Mary is coming up soon on her retirement, she is looking forward to the fact that she won’t have to hit the ground running every day. Over the years, she has learned that you have to do whatever it takes to have a work-life balance. She struggled with it a great deal over the course of her career, but fortunately it has improved in more recent years.

Mary talked about some of her harder days, one being when she lost her daughter, Molly. “I worried I would not be strong enough to handle life when she passed. I didn’t want to leave my bedroom but I had a ten-year-old grandson living with me who needed me.” 

“I was so fortunate because I had tremendous support from family, friends and colleagues. Staff in Comms took up a collection for us after Molly died and we used that money to buy her headstone. Every time I visit her grave, I think of those really kind people in Comms."

“I learned that it is okay to cry during the harder times in life and that it's important to talk to family and friends about what you are going through. I also learned it is okay to laugh during these times too.” 

Mary and I kept in regular communication over the pandemic and we both agree that we learned a lot about ourselves during that time.

While we never knew what life was like working remotely prior to the pandemic, we both realized that when your work revolves around deadlines, well written products, and last minute urgent requests, there was a real advantage to a quiet workspace at home – something the cubicle office environment did not accommodate. 

One revelation she had about herself since the pandemic is that, “If anyone had told me that I would develop introvert characteristics, I would have laughed and laughed....though that is exactly what happened. Oddly enough, my husband, who was much more reserved than I, became more outgoing.”

When I think about the fact that Mary will soon be retired, my selfish thought is “What the hell am I going to do without her at work?” Then I realize there is a friendship well beyond our days of working together as colleagues. I know that there will be phone calls, lunch dates and hopefully visits to her cottage.  

If you are lucky enough to have a Mary in your life, hold on to her because she is one in a million. 

Bits of Jules Lightening Round: 

Three things you are grateful: family and friends; to live comfortably though there were lots of lean years too; and that I love on PEI. 

Greatest influence: My mother is my biggest influence, followed closely by Marion Reid. Both were strong, smart, and kind women and taught right from wrong.  

Biggest accomplishment:  I wrote a book, but mostly I think of my university degree as my biggest accomplishment because it took me years to finish it.   

Three words to describe yourself:  blunt, kind and hopefully funny. 

Lipgloss or lipstick? Shade?  Lipstick for sure - and a raspberry red is my favorite shade.