Margaret Barbara Ross

Margaret Barbara (Peggy) ALGAR was the second daughter of Arthur John ALGAR Jr born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England and Bridget (WHELAN) born in Enniscorthy, Wexford, Ireland. Her sister Beatrice Bridget (Trix) predeceased her 27 November 2022.

She married James (Jim) ROSS 02 October 1954 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. Her husband Jim was the son of Charles ROSS and the Ellen Mary (MCKEE), all originally from Rutherglen, Scotland, He predeceased her on 03 August 2016.

Mom is survived by her 4 sons Paul (Kathie), David, Malcolm (Margaret), Alan (Jackie), grandchildren (Andrea, Trey, Geena, Owen and Chloe), a step grandchild (Toben) and a greatgrandchild (Vienna Rose).

Mom grew up in Croyden, England not far from the WWII Spitfire Base, Biggin Hill (where Beatrice worked for many years). In WWII during the Blitz mom was evacuated first to Eastborne then to Wales until she was rescued by her mother because she was unwelcome at her boarders house. Her mother had been contacted by The Railway Station workers in Wales contacted Mom’s mother because Mom would go to the station to do her homework as it was warm and there was light to study. She was deeply affected by the war, especially the bombing raids and the V1 and V2 rockets. After normal school, mom trained at Bourroughs Wellcome on a 4 year program to become a lab technician.

After the war mom traveled to Germany and other parts of Europe. The night before Queen Elizabeth’s coronation she slept on the street so she could watch the ceremonies.

She was working at Bourroughs Wellcome when she accepted an offer from the Cottage Hospital in Pembroke, Ontario to set up and run the medical lab at the hospital. She travelled to Canada aboard the “Atlantic” departing on 31 October 1953 from Southhampton and arriving in Quebec 06 November.

Six weeks later at the hospital Christmas party she met dad, who was visiting his sister in Pembroke. Dad convinced mom he could get her a job in Prince Rupert. Several months later she moved to Prince Rupert where she and dad worked at the Miller Bay Hospital. They married in late 1954. Married women were not allowed to work for the Federal Government at the time so she didn’t tell them she was married, and later, that she was pregnant. She worked until she was 7 months at which point she was forced to resign. Even then, she was expected to train her replacement. That demand was met with a firm “No, I will not!”.

Later that year, now with Paul, the family moved to Nanaimo. Two 2 years later, now with David, they moved to Victoria.

Mom worked for Dr. Matico doing lab work until the boys were old enough to go to school. Later Malcolm and Alan came along. Mom was a now homemaker, a role she was not entirely happy with. in 1968 when Alan started school mom started working at Island Medical Labs where she became the Head of the Bacteriology Department until her retirement 20 years later. During that period, she was fully involved with the variety of activities of her four sons.

Summer vacations were usually spent in the family’s travel trailer. Mom and Dad hauled the kids to all manner of National Parks and amusement parks. The longest drive was to PEI and back in four weeks.

After the boys moved out, they bought Ragtime, a Gulf 29 sailboat, that they sailed around the Pacific Northwest often with family friends Bob and Joan Stewart and their ketch “The Salty Dog”.

After retirement they took their motorhome and circumnavigated the US. Later, they became Snowbirds and spent winters in Arizona. They also traveled to Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and northern BC, Yukon and Alaska. Mom also travelled to England to visit her sister.

Mom was always very active and was still doing the intense aerobics class at the YWCA when she was 75.

Mom slowly progressed into dementia and dad looked after her until his death in 2016 after which mom moved into Sunrise Senior Living where she lived until her death.

We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the staff and management at Sunrise for the care they took of our mom.

A private service was held for the family.