Margaret Mary Powers

Born on October 20, 1910 in Haileybury, Ontario, Margaret was the eldest of six children. She is pre-deceased by her sisters Ruth (Hugh) Smith, Veronica (Fred) Townsend, and her brothers Donald and John and survived by her sister Mona (Ed) Hamilton. She will be dearly missed by numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and by Mary Ann Ladd, her faithful friend and support during her stay at St. Patrick’s Home. Margaret contracted polio at a very young age; this had a lasting effect on her physical mobility but not her spirit or commitment in life. As a young girl, Margaret moved with her family to a farm near the small town of Stanleyville (Perth), Ontario. After attending Perth Collegiate High School, Margaret graduated from Brockville Business College where she won the Pitman Award for her proficiency in shorthand. She first worked at General Motors in Oshawa then settled in Ottawa. She had a long and successful career in the civil service, working in the Prime Minister’s Office for Mackenzie King, John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson and finally at the Department of National Defence (DND) for various Ministers including Brooke Claxton and Paul Hellyer. She retired from DND. Margaret was a holy and charitable woman, a very devout Catholic who applied her beliefs to all she did. While she tried to enter a religious order in her youth, she was not accepted due to concerns about her strength. Margaret later joined the Dominican Secular Institute and made private vows that she continued to renew at regular intervals in her life. She attended mass daily and also worked for several years as the Secretary to St. Theresa’s Church in downtown Ottawa. Family was the other very important part of Margaret’s life. She looked after her father faithfully for many years, and then her younger brother Donald, to whom she was devoted, throughout his life. She was the Powers family historian and keeper of the Irish ancestry stories. Margaret was much loved and respected by both the workers and residents of St. Patrick’s home where she spent the last years of her life. The family would like to thank the staff of St. Patrick’s for their loving and gentle care. Margaret was a kind and humble person, a gentle soul, a beloved aunt and sister whose presence and prayers will be greatly missed.