Marjory Gertrude Irene Graham

(nee Alexander)

1917- 2011

With great sadness mixed with relief, the family announces that on November 30th Marjory died peacefully at Grace Hospice with her daughters at her side.

She is survived by her children Elizabeth Findlay, John (Gayle), Rose Elaine, Ruth (Alecs Chochinov) and Alan (Wendy) and grandchildren Jason, John A, Emily, Noah, Ethan, Leah, Dylan and Evan as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her brothers Stuart Alexander, Don Alexander and sister Marguerite Collingwood.

Born with an adventurous spirit she escaped Moline MB by enrolling in the St. Boniface School of Nursing. After graduating in 1939 she then enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corp and served in England, N. Africa and Italy during WWII. Unwilling to settle down on her discharge, she joined a missionary expedition to Northern China to teach nursing until 1949, leaving just before the Communist takeover. Alighting in Toronto she studied Public Health at the U. of T. and music at the Royal Conservatory before returning to Minnedosa, MB as the matron of the new Minnedosa General Hospital. Her first challenge in the month she arrived was to accommodate the 1950 flood evacuees from Winnipeg.

She met her husband John Colwell Graham in the Operating Room and they married in 1951. Relocating to Winnipeg, she embarked on motherhood and homemaking with a vengeance.

New challenges arose in 1974 when she separated from her husband and returned to University, this time in Spokane, Washington to study Human Relations and Communication. She re-entered the workforce at 57 yrs. old, developing a Manitoba Government based teaching program for Aboriginal community health representatives, teaching out of Keewatin Community College and visiting all the Manitoba Reserves. This fostered her lifelong respect for Aboriginal culture and interest in Aboriginal Education, culminating in the creation of her private foundation “The Marjory Alexander Graham and Family Trust Fund” which supports the Aboriginal Student Services Program at the University of Winnipeg today.

Her later working years were spent with Labour Canada, where she divided her time between Winnipeg and Ottawa until retirement at age 72.

Finding herself with time on her hands she took to her garden, piano, and volunteer efforts, delivering Meals on Wheels and a yearly piano recital until the age of 89, when arthritis made it increasingly difficult to climb the snow banks and span an octave.

Despite declining health and increasing frailty she maintained a keen interest in politics, music, gardening and her family and friends around the world, mastering both MSN and Skype.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Marjory’s caregivers, Kim and Maryrose of Home Instead Seniors Care, as well as the Palliative Care Unit at St. Boniface Hospital and the Grace Hospice for their loving care and support of Mum in her final months.

True to her inquiring nature, Marjory has bequeathed her body to the Department of Anatomy at the Univ. of Manitoba for the advancement of Medicine through Anatomical Study.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm in Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

You may honour Marjory by wearing something red.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University of Winnipeg Foundation, Aboriginal Student Services or the charity of your choice.