Marjorie Ann Ready

Marjorie embodied the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

She was a woman of extraordinary compassion, unwavering faith, remarkable forgiveness, and an indomitable spirit. She possessed a warm, beautiful, inviting, and graceful softness, accompanied at times by a witty, passionate, and indefatigable intensity. She saw people as they were: fallible, messy, precious, and forgivable.

Born in Edmonton, Marjorie arrived just minutes after her twin sister, Patricia, to parents Agnes and Donald Clarke. The twins were so small that their uncle, Dr. Roy Clarke, who delivered them, specially ordered an incubator for them to share.

Marjorie grew up in Bonnie Doon and later on Saskatchewan Drive. She attended Little Flower Catholic School in Rossdale and Scona Composite High School. She loved recounting stories of old Edmonton, riding horses on farmland east of the city, fishing and camping with her father, and learning to bake, sew, and sing from her mother. Her grandmother Povey nurtured her deep capacity for love and compassion.

Independent and adventurous, she left school early and worked at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on Jasper Avenue and later at Woodward's.

Marjorie married her high school sweetheart, Jim Ready, with whom she raised their son, James (Jim) Ready. They remained friends following their separation.

In 1965, she met Jack Ronald Waller, an Englishman newly arrived in Canada, beginning a loving partnership that would span 50 years.

Marjorie and Jack shared a lifelong love of music, singing and jamming with local musicians at house parties, Edmonton dance halls, and small-town gatherings. She also taught hearing-impaired students to jive at the Trocadero Club, where its cantilever dance floor allowed them to feel the rhythm of the music beneath their feet.

Together, Marjorie and Jack helped preserve Old Strathcona. She assisted him in drafting the First Approach to Council through the Old Strathcona Committee, opposing plans to turn Whyte Avenue into a freeway.

Marjorie studied Early Childhood Education at Grant MacEwan College and cared for children in Edmonton. She later worked at the Avonmore group home, advocating for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, particularly their opportunities to communicate through sign language. There she met Lorrie Courtnage, who became her lifelong friend of 46 years.

During the recession of the 1980s, Marjorie and her family moved to British Columbia, where Jack (Sr) opened a second bookstore in Victoria. From 1986 to 1991, she lived in Langford, raising Penny and Jack while helping care for her mother, Agnes, who was living with Alzheimer's disease. She also worked in private palliative home care and volunteered at the local food bank.

From 1991 to 1994, Marjorie and Jack lived in James Bay, Victoria, in a suite above Don's Grocery. Together with their beloved dog, Rusty, they enjoyed nearly daily walks along Dallas Road, overlooking the ocean.

Marjorie returned to Alberta in 1994 where she nannied and survived stage 3C breast cancer, and for more than a decade, Marjorie and her twin sister, Pat, lived next door to one another in McKernan. They cut a hole in the fence between their yards for visits, sharing coffee, rhubarb, the morning paper, walks to Whyte Avenue, and pies made from Pat's apples. Their extraordinary closeness continued throughout their lives.

When Jack, her partner of 50 years and the love of her life, died in 2015, Marjorie experienced a profound loss. She missed him warmly, tenderly, and deeply throughout her remaining years.

Following Jack's passing, Marjorie lived with her daughter, Penny, son-in-law, David, and granddaughter, Ophelia, in Terwillegar. She enjoyed a beverage on the deck and exchanging some witty observations with her son-in-law, David; cooking for the family and helping Pen in the kitchen; and, playing board games, making art, or dancing with Ophelia.

Following her time in Terwillegar, Marjorie moved into Queen Alexandra Lodge, where she enjoyed the friendship of residents and staff, particularly, friends: Ted & Nora, who worked to include her and help her as the years went on; and, her friend, Lillian. As well, a brief romance with Dan (Danny) Dobvey brought a welcome spark to her time there.

Her Christian faith remained central to her life. She found faith in all trials and all blessings, and profound joy in art, music, children, animals, family, and the simple pleasures of everyday life.

Marjorie was deeply blessed by the care of the late Dr. Peter Hays (UofA), in the 1970s and 1980s, who helped her immensely. She was also thankful for Dr. Tina Marie O'Donnell of the Grey Nuns Hospital, who cared for her after the loss of Jack.

Special thanks are now extended to Carla Sparrow, NP, whose compassionate treatment, support, and advocacy were especially appreciated during Marjorie's final years and last days.

Above all, Marjorie was proudest of her family and especially of being a grandmother. Ophelia, whose first word was "Ammah" (meaning Grandma), shared an exceptionally close bond with her. Her youngest granddaughter, Aleena, brought her tremendous joy during summer visits, while her West Coast grandchildren, Kym and Chris, were always in her thoughts and prayers.

In 2024, Marjorie was diagnosed with bilateral lung cancer and lived far beyond expectations.

During the final week of her life, Marjorie's devoted granddaughter, Ophelia, watched over her throughout the nights, responding to her every need with tenderness, patience, and care. During the days, her daughter, Penny, and son, Jack, tended to her with the same care, ensuring that she was comfortable, reassured, and surrounded by love. Her twin sister, Pat, and lifelong friend, Lorrie, also spent many hours by her side, holding her hands, stroking her hair, and speaking softly to her, offering the familiar comfort of voices and touch.

Near her last day, Marjorie sang and danced to "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Later, with her eyes closed, she mouthed the words to "How Great Thou Art", as the Lord was preparing her way.

Her family is forever grateful for the privilege of caring for her and takes comfort in knowing she is Home with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Marjorie was predeceased by her beloved Jack Ronald Waller (2015); father & mother: Donald Oliver & Agnes (née Povey) Clarke; first husband and friend Jim Ready; sister Karan Thompson; brother James Rollison; nephews Michael Clarke and Jason Rollison; sisters-in-law Shirley (Pen) MacCallum and Yvonne Waller; friends Jeanette Eyre and Miriam Mandell; companion Dan (Danny) Dobvey; and her beloved dogs Rusty and Ruby.

She will be sorely missed by her children, James (Jim) Ready of North Vancouver, Penny (David) Ulmer of Edmonton, and Jack (Nooria) Waller Jr. of Fort St. John, BC / Philadelphia; twin sister Patricia Slack (previously Docherty, née Clarke); sister Donna Wheldon (née Clarke); brothers Don Clarke (Karen) of Denman Island, BC, and George Rollison (Liz) of Edmonton; grandchildren Ophelia Waller (fiancé Eliglio Rivas), Kym Ready of Surrey, BC, Chris Ready of North Vancouver, and Aleena Waller of Philadelphia; and great-grandchildren Lacey-May, Zaeden, and Misty Anne.

Marjorie loved dogs, often stating, "they are more human than people", and never passed one without stopping to give it a pat. She also enjoyed picking flowers that bloomed in alleys or over property lines, finding beauty in unexpected places.

When you think of Marjorie, savour the moment and look for joy in unexpected ways.

A Celebration of Marjorie's Life will be held Friday, November 6, 2026, Service begins at 10:00 a.m. Please arrive between 9:00am-9:30am, at Hainstock's Funeral Home and Crematorium, Edmonton, Alberta.

Light refreshments will follow. Flowers are Welcome.

Marjorie's life was filled with music, adventure, creativity, friendship, suffering, humour, compassion, forgiveness, trials, tribulations, blessings, laughter, love, so much love, and faith. Above all, she lived as a child of God, close to Jesus, seeing the precious humanity in others and teaching kindness and grace through example.

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A Poem by Marjorie Ann Ready (circa 1980)

No man has lived

who did not grow

and take along lifes way

And no man has given

who has not been taken of

and learned that he must pay

With the warm of his heart and the love of his soul

to bring forth a brighter day

you cannot change the past

my friend

by excusing the reason or rhyme

go on, go on, live for today

for today you will learn to love

the coal dust lady, the tramp on the street,

and that dusty old book on the shelf

so pity the ones who have hurt you

for they are only weak

as you and I, my friend, might be

without the love we seek

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