Obituary of Beverley "Dawn" Gilchrist

The death of Beverley Dawn (Short) Gilchrist of Saint John, cherished wife of Peter Gilchrist, occurred on Saturday, September 21, 2024 in the tender and compassionate care of Bobby’s Hospice.  Born in Saint John, she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Enid (Scofield) Short (Enid’s sister, Irma Schofield, lived with them and had a great influence on Dawn; giving her a love of music which lasted all her life).

Dawn grew up in the South End of Saint John on Princess Street and attended Saint John High where she graduated in 1957 with honours.  During these years, she was given piano lessons and participated in the New Brunswick Festival of Music in piano and vocal classes.  She also took ballet lessons at this time. 

From 1957 - 1961, Dawn studied at Acadia University where she majored in music and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree.  While at Acadia, she acted in several theatrical productions; particularly “Oklahoma,” stealing the show with her role as “Ado Annie” and bringing down the house with her rendition of “I’m just a girl who can’t say NO.”  After graduation, she taught music in several schools in Nova Scotia and attended Dalhousie University where she earned a Bachelor of Education Degree. 

In 1973, Dawn moved back to New Brunswick with her two children, Kelly and Liana.  She joined the choir at Germain Street Baptist Church, where she met Peter Gilchrist and in 1974, they were married. This was a marriage that would last 50 years.  The marriage ceremony included all three children:  Kelly, Liana and Jennifer.  The theme of the ceremony was “creating a new family” and it has continued to be a family to the present day.

When the two were first married they rented a large apartment on Sand Cove Road.  The house was owned by the McGrath’s, who also owned the Eileen McGarth School of Dance.  Dawn and the kids became involved in the dance world and eventually became instructors (Dawn teaching for many years).

In 1989, after the kids had grown up, Peter and Dawn moved to Milledgeville and joined the choir at Portland United Church.  Dawn singing in numerous choirs, she used her skills on the piano by playing piano duets and piano-organ duets with organist, Barry Snodgrass.  She also taught piano lessons to many children in the Milledgeville area.

Following Peter’s retirement from teaching, he and Dawn did a lot of travelling:  cruises, bus trips, spending time at their family homestead at Cambridge-Narrows and enjoying concerts at the Imperial.

Dawn will be sorely missed, particularly by her loving husband, Peter; children, Kelly (Megan), Jennifer (Scott) and Liana (Sonny); her grandchildren, Jamie, Chantal, Emma and Daniel; brother, Eldon “Bud” Short and his daughters, Amber and Itala; special cousins, Deborah Wilson, Gail Sansouci, Charlotte Anne Bell and Michael Patterson; as well as Peter’s brother and family, David, Lorraine, Jeff, Paul and Kevin.

A special thank you to the Saint John Extramural Program and Bobby’s Hospice for their exceptional care.

A funeral service will take place at Portland United Church, 50 Newport Crescent, Saint John on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 2:00 PM.  For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by visiting Dawn’s obituary on the Brenan’s website.  Immediately following the service, the family will greet their guests at “Dawn’s party” which will take place in the church hall.  Arrangements are under the care and direction of Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John (506-634-7424).

For those who wish, remembrances may be made to the Saint John Extramural Program or Bobby’s Hospice. 

www.BrenansFH.com