Obituary of Maxine Gloria Gruber

Her family is saddened to announce the passing of Maxine Gloria Gruber (Bayer) on May 17, 2023 in Ottawa. Maxine was born on March 5, 1936 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Gertrud (Sohlberg) and Luther Bayer. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Commodore RCN (ret.) John Alfred Gruber, her parents, her sister Joyce and brother Ken.

She will be greatly missed by her daughters Marta (Ken Brennan) and Heidi (Mark Lagacé) as well as grandsons Gabriel and Dominic, of Ottawa, niece Glynis Bailey (Eric) and nephews Philip Thompson and Scott Thompson all of Nova Scotia, and brother-in-law Robert Gruber of Edmonton.

Maxine and John, a career naval officer, were married for 58 years, and they made a home in many places from Quebec City, to London, England, to Dartmouth, and Ottawa. She remained a proud Nova Scotian. Maxine (or Max, or Mom, or Niney, or Nanny) believed a day was wasted if you did not learn something new and passed a love of learning to her children and grandchildren, of whom she was extremely proud.  She supported her children’s activities as a volunteer for many years. She delighted in literature, in poetry, and in music. An avid gardener, she filled her beautiful gardens with plants she lovingly started from seed for many decades. She accepted the infirmities of age with grace, even when sight loss took many of her favorite activities from her.

There will be no funeral service at her request.  A celebration of life will be planned at a later date. Those wishing to do so would honour her by making a donation to the CNIB, The Checkered Eye Project, the Ottawa Mission or a charity of your choice.