Margaret Davey

Margaret passed away in her 100th year. She was born in Winnipeg Manitoba to Robert Maize Stewart and Margaret McIntosh (Sharp) Stewart. In the early years Margaret lived on St. Anne’s Road in St. Vital Winnipeg Manitoba. She loved to walk and often joyfully recalled the long walks taken with her mother. A summer often included a family train ride out to Vancouver, a stay in a Kitsilano rooming house, and true to form, long walks in the neighbourhood and around Stanley Park. When it came time to pack-up for home, she was surprised to discover a drawer full of apples, compliments of her brothers’ ventures into the neighbourhood’s apple trees.

Mum attended Norberry School and Glenlawn Collegiate and remembered all her teachers names and could tell you a story about each one of them. When she was 21, she joined TCA, Trans-Canada Airlines (Air Canada), and became a member of the International Association of Machinists, where she was certified as an experienced Sheet Metal Worker. She worked out of Stevenson Field, supporting the war effort until June of 1945, when the boys started coming home from the war. Down south, her positon was known as “Rosie the Riveter”. Working at Eaton’s and heading the Stationary Department was a favourite job of Mum’s and with her long legs and slender figure she looked striking in her tailored suits.

The story goes that Mum met Dad at a wiener roast, Mum was not a drinker and Dad was happy to help her with the beer that came with the meal. They were married on May 31, 1947 at Regents Park United Church and welcomed their first daughter Janet in 1949, followed by Susan in 1951. Dad, working as a carpenter in Winnipeg’s challenging weather, started looking at other options and applied to TCA. He was hired to work out of the Vancouver International Airport, so they were on the move and arrived in Vancouver in November of 1951.

They first lived in the Marpole area west of Granville. It must have been quite a challenge for Mum with 2 small children and no family support, but it was soon to get even more challenging. In 1952 Sherry was born which qualified them for veteran’s housing in the new Fraserview subdivision. Brent was born in 1953 and Mum now had 4 children age 4 and under. With the welcome arrival of Terri in 1960 the family was now complete. Mum and Dad stayed in the 61st street house for 40 years where they celebrated many large family gatherings, Christmas and Christmas dinners were always memorable. Mum didn’t have a lot of time to socialize but valued her friendship with next-door neighbour, Mary Dennis.

Mum will be remembered for her love and devotion to her family and also for her shortbread, butter tarts and sausage rolls. While we were shuffled off to Sunday school mum would bake 2 pies for Sunday dinner and all the treats for our lunches for the following week.

Mum and Dad belonged to Legion 48 and spent many an evening dancing and listening to music. She loved to travel and would have her bags packed at the mere mention of a vacation. Mum enjoyed many trips with family and friends and her get-aways with Aunty Ellen.

Nothing brought Mum more joy than being surrounded by her family, she loved to have visitors and to go visiting, a car ride was an added pleasure. The COVID restrictions were very hard on Mum, with limitations put on visiting, she spent many an afternoon daydreaming about going on those long walks she so loved. She was thrilled to get her two vaccinations and so looked forward to getting back to her pre pandemic life. One of her favourite spots to visit was the River District where we went on many walks along the Fraser River. With her failing eyesight, she could still image the flow of the river and enjoy the sound of children playing and the occasional dog coming to say hello. An outing for chicken strips and onion rings would result in an exclamation of savoury delight. Yes it was fast-food but, with Mum having lost her sense of taste, she could still conger up the memory of how it was supposed to taste.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband Harold Lorne Davey on December 27, 2006, her brothers Robert in WWII, David and John. She is survived by her children Janet (Scott), Susan (Bob), Sherryl (Gary), Brent (Patricia), and Terri (Brad). She will be dearly missed by her 10 grandchildren, Shawn (Carey), Lindsay (Edgardo), Patrick (Rebecca), Aaron, Graham (Marti), Philip, Amanda, Robin, Jake, and Cloud; 11 great grandchildren, Cameron, Skyler, Sebastián, Deacon, Hannah, Pearl, Kayla (Blair), Aubri, Samara, Koen, and Chase; 2 great great-grandchildren, Skyleigh, and Scarlett; her sister Elizabeth, and sister-in-law Rose. She will also be remembered by nieces Sharon (Doug), Linda (Larry), Karen (Don), and Leslie (Lorraine) and nephews Bob (Darlene), Marty (Jacqueline) and Michael (Patricia) and others.

These past months were both painful and beautiful. We were all able to spend time with Mum; taking turns holding her hands and sharing memories. As we filled her room with chatter we knew she was listening because she would give our hand a squeeze and the occasional smile to let us know she was remembering along with us. This is how she wanted to pass, and she got her wish. There were no words left unsaid and we will all cherish these memories.

Thank you to all those that made Mum’s life a little easier, Southview staff, particularly Jocelyne and especially Loretta who always made Mum laugh and the kind and thoughtful staff at St. Michael’s Centre. We cannot thank you enough for the care and kindness you showed Mum and her family.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice and give someone you love a hug.

Tales from the family and friends:

• Mum so wanted to reach the age of 100 and receive a letter from the Queen. She had a list of foods she wanted for her birthday dinner. We would need a week or more of dinners to be able to fit them all in, but that was possibly part of her plan.

• We took Mum to the Remembrance Day services every year and she loved it. She always cried when the bagpipes started because of all the memories but loved to see the pipers and all the firemen in uniform. Mum loved a man in uniform, which bode well for Dad who wore a uniform until he retired.

• A fond memory is Mum taking me for chips and a coke as a special treat whenever we were out together.

• One traumatizing memory was when I was twirling my toy gun and it flew out of my hand and hit mum’s toe. She fainted, dropping to the floor. A scream brought Dad running to find me in tears thinking that I had just shot Mum.

• I remember in Florida we wanted to go to the Olive Garden for dinner and there was a 2 hour wait so we headed back to town and found another restaurant. Margaret ordered pork chops and she got 2 huge pork chops with mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables. She finished off the whole works. I thought for sure I would get one of the pork chops.

• I always liked the story that grandma went to a gathering and chose the seat over the cooler so that the boys would have to talk to her before they could get a beer.

• I remember when I was pushing Margaret in the wheel chair around Westgate grounds and she told me to keep my eyes on the path as we passed two very good looking girls. I think she was afraid that I would walk off the path and into the lake below.

• For a long, long time I had been dreading the call I got on Tuesday, August 10th, 2021. I frequently told Grandma she’d live until 120 or more, but 99 is an impressive feat. She meant the world to me and I’m glad she was still in my life at 38; I know not every person gets to hold onto grandparents for that long. I was also fortunate to live with her for five years. Those five years, in particular, have left me with many wonderful memories and stories that I will cherish until I’m 99. One time, when I was living with her, I made a batch of chili. It was spicy, really spicy, and I told Grandma NOT to eat it. I told her again and again and again and even wrote, “DO NOT EAT THIS GRANDMA!” on a piece of paper, taped to the chili’s container. Guess what she did? She ate it. I came home from work that same day and the minute I walked in the door she made sure to whimper and pant. “The chili you made me burnt my tongue! I can’t taste anymore and it’s all your fault!” Defending myself I said, “I told you not to eat it, Grandma! I even made you your own batch and labeled it.” She only got more and more dramatic. “You tried to kill me, you tried to kill me!” Fortunately, she lived much longer, but unfortunately, she berated me about the chili for the next two weeks.

• Grandma asked me to drop her off at the gym. I was confused – she was in her eighties and had never worked out a day in her life – but she was insistent. When I picked her up I asked how it went. “I’m so sore,” she whined. “Well, what sort of exercises did you do?” “I don’t know what it’s called,” she said, “but I did the one that does this…” She lifted her arms at a ninety-degree angle and slloooowwwlllly acted out a chest fly. “How many reps did you do?” I asked. She looked at me confused. “I don’t know what a rep is, but I did it for half an hour!” This is one of my favourite stories to tell about Grandma and I recently recounted it to my in-laws. My brother-in-law laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe. I could go on and on telling stories about how dramatic and unintentionally hilarious Grandma was, but I’ll end with this: if any of you are watching a movie with Grandma in the afterlife, be careful with the pause button. One time we were watching a movie that had zero sex scenes or nudity up until the moment I pressed pause to take a call. I was speaking to my mom on the phone and from the other room I heard Grandma angrily huffing and puffing. These sounds got louder and louder – she truthfully sounded a bit like an unimpressed horse. Finally, after ten minutes or so, I went back to see what the commotion was about, and as luck would have it, I had paused on the movie on the only 2 seconds of nudity in the entire film, a woman, fully naked, pressed up against a window. Grandma was so angry.

• I loved Grandma very much and although I wish she could have received a letter from the Queen on her 100th birthday, I’m glad she was here for as long as she was. I’m glad she got to know my wife and my two children. She made a huge impact on my life, and I will forever be grateful for her.

• Mum loved the bagpipes and we played recordings of them for her while she was in hospice. She would have loved to have been piped out by the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

Please add your tales to mum’s story.