Ms. Margaret McCaughan Morrison

Margaret was born into the family of a Presbyterian church minister, Thomas McCaughan, and his wife, Maude (Wreathe), in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Her parents had ties to Northern Ireland and eventually settled in England, but Margaret felt proud to be Scottish. She had four sisters and, due to illness, was mainly home-schooled. At 18 she enlisted and served during WWII as a wireless operator in Scotland and at the War Office in London. She became a sergeant serving in the Education Corps after the war. She recalled this as an exciting time, leaving home, doing important work, meeting people and experiencing VJ Day at Piccadilly Circus in 1945. After the war Margaret worked briefly as a social worker in England before obtaining a law degree at Queen's University, Belfast. She married Harry Midgley whom she’d met as a law student. They had two children and lived in Sussex before immigrating to Canada in 1969. The family settled in Edmonton, close to the family of Margaret’s sister, Kathleen Klawe. While raising teenagers Margaret completed a Masters of Law degree at the U of A (her thesis: The Legal Status of the Married Woman) and worked as administrative assistant for university President Myer Horowitz. She divorced, remarried and moved to B.C. and lived variously in Peachland, Gibsons and Roberts Creek, serving on town councils in each municipality, before moving back to Edmonton to be close to family in later years. On moving to Canada Margaret felt an instant affinity for her new home and especially loved hiking in the Canadian Rockies or driving to new destinations. She was keen to stay fit, garden and plant trees, dozens of which grace homes where she lived over the years. Margaret served on the board of the Canadian Red Cross for B.C. and Yukon and represented that organization on two trips to Communist China. She trekked the Himalaya (at age 70), walked the Great Wall of China and swam with dolphins in Mexico. She felt achievements and appreciation of life should not be limited by gender, and admired women in her family who have done, and continue to do, important work. In later days Margaret faced medical challenges but was always grateful for the help provided. She continued to enjoy outings to Hawrelak Park or Elk Island Park, and to enjoy family get-togethers when possible. She benefited greatly from the attention and kindness of the diligent staff at Glastonbury Mews and AHS Home Care, and from her thoughtful physician Dr. Wei David Sun. Her family feels a debt of gratitude to all who helped.

Margaret is predeceased by sisters, Maud, Anne and Kathleen; brother-in-law, Janusz; husbands, Harry Midgley, Ivan Morrison, and Donald Beck, and grandson Trystan Midgley. She will be sadly missed by sons, Harry (Judy Graschuk) and Jonathan Midgley; grandkids, Harry, Skye, and Kento Midgley; nieces Anna, Katrina, Patricia, and Maria, and their families, including Hubert Taube, Michael, Ernest and Valerie Poetker; Yukiko Midgley and Mary Jane Graschuk.

A private celebration of Margaret’s life will be held in the coming days.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest donations to The Canadian Red Cross for which Margaret volunteered.