Margaret Mary Briggs
1924 – 2014
Margaret emigrated from Britain in 1955 and after a year in Montreal, settled in Vancouver where she held positions involving staff training in the business world and teaching night courses, library assistant at Simon Fraser University and secretarial work for various medical institutions. Her last position, with the Vancouver Symphony, was the one she found most satisfying to her creative spirit. During her working life she wrote a novel, “Lost Identity”, published in 1968 by McClelland and Stewart.
In 1984 Margaret moved to Salt Spring. Her retirement years were filled with a creativity nourished by nature and the delight she felt as she explored our island and its gifts. She was an excellent photographer, but then in her words “I discovered watercolour painting in 1987 and it changed my life…I paint for the sheer joy of it”. She later moved to oil painting and was actively working and planning the next painting until her final illness.
This was a lady with an enquiring mind and a huge gift for life and love; she endured years of chronic pain made bearable by her Catholic faith and deep, personal love for God. She loved her family, her friends, her Island – and she will be deeply missed.
In lieu of flowers a donation to the BCSPCA or charity of choice is appreciated.
Thank you to Dr. Chricton and his office assistant Jerry, the staff at Lady Minto Hospital, Maureen O’Brien, Tannis, Buck, Sylvan and all other staff and residents at Meadowbrook, also Sharon Glover and Ruth Liston for their kindness at this time.
A mass service will be held at Our Lady of Grace church July 5, 1:00pm, followed by internment at Central cemetery and a celebration tea at Meadowbrook at 2:30pm.