Margaret Mary Marchand Shearing

Dear Children and Grandchildren, 

I've been thinking that you might be interested in hearing about our early years. 

I had met my husband to-be when I was eighteen at a school friend's birthday party. I wore a coral taffeta dress; the girls in those days used to wear long dresses for special occasions. A mutual friend and her boyfriend called in a taxi to bring me to the party. Then, he and I spent most of the time at the party talking. I guess she found someone else. I'm not sure of the exact date of our first kiss, I know it wasn't on our first date!), but I do remember that my hat fell off. 

I went out with a few other young men, then Jimmy and I just seemed to drift together again in1939, which was pre-WW2. He belonged to the Royal Highland Regiment and we went to quite a few dances at the armoury, sometimes in formal wear. He looked dashing in his Black Watch kilt. 

My husband joined the Royal Canadian Artillery about four days after war was declared in September 1939. Several of his friends did,too, at the same time. We got married on February 22nd 1941. He was already in the Canadian Army, and stationed at Petawawa, Ontario. After a few days honeymoon we came back to Montreal and found a small one and a half -roomed apartment which we rented, downtown. So, when he got weekend leaves, we had a place to call our own. I was still working at the Bank and could walk there from our little apt. 

In the month of July the military were having a recruitment campaign. They had put up their tents in a large park very near to where we had our home, so needless to say he didn't stay in the camp every night, but with me. I guess that was when we started on our family, not knowing that it would be the first of many to come. So the army had gone to Ontario by late August, and we decided it was best if I would go home to live with my parents in their large house. It was up on Mount Royal mountain! 

Labour Day weekend, 1941 was the last I saw of my husband because he went overseas in mid-September. I was only a very few months pregnant. Two of my three sisters were still there too, but it was nice since I had the growing baby to think of. I stopped working and just helped my mother around the house. One of my sisters was getting married in May 1942, so there was a lot of planning for it. 

I had thought that I'd have a Valentine baby, but he didn't arrive until March 29th. David was 3 years and 3 months before he saw his father. Although he was far away, he wrote many wonderful love letters which I was very pleased to get! It kept David and myself close even when he was so far away. It made the reunion easier. 

Love, Mom  20/2/1997

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Shearing, Margaret Mary (nee Marchand)

Margaret Shearing, in her 96th year, peacefully at her residence, on March 18, 2012. Margaret was born in Montreal in 1916 to Eveleen (McKenna) and Antoine Marchand. A graduate of École des Beaux-Arts, Margaret married James Shearing in 1941 who predeceased her in 2008.

Margaret was an extraordinary mother who raised her 12 children to love, support and cherish one another. As a young wife and mother during World War II, she relied on her faith and her family while her husband Jimmy was overseas. The two were happily married for 67 years and were kept busy raising their large family in Rosemount.In later years they enjoyed travelling together, sometimes returning with Margaret's paintings of places they had visited. Through her faith and determination she faced challenges head on. She instilled in her children the desire to learn - she herself learned to drive at 56 and to email at 80. She enjoyed the company of her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, filling her room with their photos and her paintings. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

She leaves her children: David (Elaine Lovecky), Frances West (Richard), John (Barbara), Catherine Harris (Barry), Paul (Nancy), James (Joyce), Mary Anderson (Norman), Richard, Michael (Diane Du Toit), Elizabeth Hogan (Brian Regalbuto), Helen Phillipowsky (Michael), Eileen Tipping (Brent). Her grandchildren: Stephanie Harris-Ruel (Benoit), Mark (Monica), Christine Flahven (Ryan), Meredith Jensen (Peter), Daniel, Matthew Anderson, Bianca Shearing-Radva (Frank), Philip, Melanie Spraggett, Jennifer Pearcey (Chris), Patrick West, Elisabeth Anderson (David Weatherall), Marisa, Patrick, Shane Tipping, Jeremy, Claire Phillipowsky, Alanna Tipping, Kathleen Phillipowsky. Her great-grandchildren: Vanessa, Anthony, Justin, Paul, Katherine, Luke, Sasha, Margaret, Allison and Braedan; and her sister, Mary Rose Niergarth of Peterborough. Predeceased by her sisters Clare, Jeanne and brother Charles.

Visitation: Friday, March 23, 1-4 pm and 7-9 pm and Saturday, March 24, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm at Collins Clarke MacGillivrary White, 27 Salisbury, Pointe-Claire H9S 3X6 (Cartier Ave. exit).

A funeral mass will be held at St. Edmund of Canterbury Church, 105 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield (corner of Beaconsfield and Boul. St. Charles) on Saturday, March 24, 1:00 pm. Interment following the mass at the Field of Honour, Lakeview Cemetery, Pointe-Claire. Reception to follow at Collins Clarke funeral home.

Donations in honour of Margaret may be made to Vigi DDO Volunteer Association, 197 Thornhill, DDO, QC H9B 3H8.