With her two daughters caring for her, Marie passed away last week in her home of some 50 years in Beaconsfield. Born and raised in Val Marie in southwestern Saskatchewan, she left family hardship as a teenager to live with relatives in Ottawa where she later met and married Donald MacGregor. They raised their 3 children in Parent in northern Quebec where Don worked for a decade as a forestry engineer for EB Eddy. Marie quickly immersed herself in the community by learning French, playing cards and mastering curling. It was here that she put the Eaton’s catalogue aside, ordered a sewing machine, and taught herself the skills to make clothes for her 3 children. What started as a thrifty hobby quickly evolved into her renown as a master seamstress, making wedding dresses, specializing in adaptations for folks with special needs, and later becoming a gifted quilter who won awards for her creativity and skill.
Marie was a passionate volunteer whether it be driving countless folks to appointments or delivering Meals on Wheels until she was ninety to “old people.” A champion for the disabled, she taught crafts to mentally challenged adults. She was also a longstanding palliative care community worker. Honored in the International Year of the Volunteer in 2001 by the Government of Canada, Marie continued right into her final week somehow managing to knit yet another exquisite tuque, number 1756, for newborns at the Lakeshore Hospital. She was an indomitable spirit with a feisty determination to challenge any adversity and to get on with her mission in life of providing for others.
Family and by extension the neighbourhood came first for Marie. She nurtured her grandchildren but equally their friends, and more recently her great grandchildren who brought her new joy and enthusiasm. There was no end of creative costumes, dolls, and puppets for play as well as fine knit sweaters for wear. For the men in the family, her ingenious repairs gave favourite items a few more years of wear and a temporary reprieve from the ragbag. In her honour the grandchildren and great grandson who could not be at her side celebrated her life by eating her ancestral Norwegian food while sporting sweaters and shirts, some new and others rehabilitated, all signatures of her consummate skill.
Predeceased by her husband Donald MacGregor (1998) Marie is survived by three children: Bob, Lynne (Rob Cushman) and Karen (Brian Davies), grandchildren Robert, Trevor, Emily and Courtney and 4 great grandchildren Chase, Jake, Elliott and the most recent arrival Renaud whom she was able to hold in her final weeks. How fortunate we all were to have been part of a life so well lived. Marie gave us so much and she will continue to inspire us.
The family would like to thank Drs Dudgeon and Sabri along with the CLSC du Lac St. Louis palliative care team for their advice and care in Marie’s final days.
Due to pandemic restrictions, there is no plan for a memorial service.
In lieu of flowers the family encourages donations to Marie’s favourite charities: foodbanks, NOVA, WIAIH, (West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped), the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s plant a memorial tree program.
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