Marjorie "Marge" Eileen Kelley

BA (Queen’s University)

BLS (University of Toronto)

MEd (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto)

Associate of The Institute of Education (University of London, England)

Marge died peacefully in the presence of loving family on March 1, 2020 in Halifax, NS. She was the daughter of Clifford and Hilda (Wyman) Kelley, Yarmouth, NS. Survived by brother Clifford Kelley, Riverview, NB. Predeceased by brother George, his wife Corinne; half brother Frank, his wife Connie; half sister Anne, her husband, William Arthur (Johnny) Pedlar and sister-in-law Shirley Kelley.

Aunt to George’s daughters Lynn Kelley Cooper (Ken), and Barbara Page (David); Clifford’s daughter Susan Bampton, and his sons John (Stacey), Tom (Marsha), and Robert (Inge); Frank’s children Andrea, Wendy, and Clifford; and Anne’s daughters Sharon and Gillian.

Great aunt to Christine Cooper, Melissa Page Webster (Todd), Alex Page (Larissa), Kate and Neil Kelley, Stephen (Meaghan), Tyler (Victoria) and Sean Bampton, Andie and Joe Kelley. Great great aunt to Ettnie, Ella and Charlotte Webster, Maddie and Michael Page and Brynlee Bampton. Honorary Grammy to Michelle and Greg Geldart, Olivia and Claire.

Marge was born and brought up in Yarmouth. After graduating from Yarmouth Academy, she took clerical studies at the newly established Yarmouth County Vocational High School. She then went to the Provincial Normal School in Truro. After teaching grade three at Milton School in Yarmouth for a year,she joined the migration to “Upper Canada” and taught for four years in small towns in Quebec. The lure of the big city life captured Marge and she moved to Toronto, where she spent thirty five years in her forty year career as an educator. During her working years Marge was employed by the Toronto Board of Education; she taught in elementary schools, was a pioneer in the school library movement, was a consultant in school librarianship, and taught teacher/librarians in night classes, summer schools, and in London, England and Australia. Marge reviewed books for several professional journals and published articles on school librarianship.

Marge travelled extensively- twice a year to the Maritimes for family visits, regularly to Wolf Island, Ontario and Cornwall, England; to other parts of Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand; and she went to Russia with a university group when she was she was living in London on a year’s sabbatical. Her wide interests often determined her destinations - Monet’s garden in Giverny, France; brass rubbing in small English churches; National Trust (England and Wales) sites, homes of authors and artists wherever she went. Her favourite cities were London and Paris. She went to London so many times that she knew her way around better than many of the people who lived there. She said, “I am a Nova Scotian by birth, a Torontonian by choice and a Londoner in my dreams”. She bought children’s picture books wherever she went and had an extensive collection of picture books in several languages which now belongs to her grandniece Christine Cooper.

Marge moved to Halifax in 2012 and soon connected to fellow writers, readers, and bridge players. She became an active participant in life at The Berkeley Gladstone, and she continued her love of learning, taking courses from St. Mary’s University at the Public Library, Elder Learners at St. Mary’s, and the Senior’s College of Nova Scotia. She joined a book club at St. John’s Church and was a founding member of the writing group Wordsmith.

Marge has been cremated and will be interred at a later date in Chebogue Cemetery, Yarmouth County.

In lieu of flowers donations to Halifax Public Library, 60 Alderney Dr., Halifax, NS B2Y 4P8 or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

*UPDATE*

Scheduled services are on hold at this moment. Please return to site for further service updates.