Margaret Franey died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday November 1st at Lady Minto Hospital on Salt Spring Island. She was 86-years old and had been living an active and happy life up until June of this year when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Margaret had greatly enjoyed living at her Salt Spring Island home at Isabella Point and travelling the world with her loving husband Basil. In recent years they had toured Canada, France, Spain, Italy, South Africa, South America, and Hawaii. The last of these adventures was a driving trip around New Zealand in February.  Her greatest distress in the last years of her life had been the passing of dear friends.

Margaret was born Helen Margaret Simpson in Montréal on October 2nd, 1925. Her parents Helen Baxter Henderson (1902-1978) and James Allan Simpson (1900-1983) followed their only daughter to Vancouver not many years after she started a family in Burnaby in the 1950s. Growing up in Montréal and spending summers at the family cottage in the Laurentians, she met Basil on a trans-Atlantic ocean-liner at the beginning of what was her first trip abroad, and his return to his native England. They were married August 5, 1950 in Montréal and moved to the Vancouver area in 1952.

Margaret worked as a schoolteacher in both Montréal and Vancouver before raising her family and volunteering with charitable organizations over the years. Especially important to her was her time reading, enjoying nature, and working with the Clef Society in Burnaby, helping to provide scholarships to promising young musicians.

She is survived by Basil (born 1925), her sons Alan (born 1957) and Ian (born 1959), her grandsons James and Evan (born to Alan and Donna in 1987 and 1991 respectively), her foster daughter Caroline Grieve (born 1958), her sister-in-law Patricia Colley, and numerous extended family members and friends.

The family would like to express tremendous gratitude to those who helped care for Margaret in her last days. Special thanks go to Dr. David Woodley and team members providing in-home and hospital palliative care over the past five months. Their kindness and untiring skill in treating Margaret will always be remembered.

Margaret Franey always had an exceptional affinity and appreciation for the natural world, from the time she devoted herself to rescuing animals as a child, through her remarkably confident lengthy swims, right up to the peaceful life she made for herself at Isabella Farm. Margaret will be remembered in a simple ceremony to be conducted later when her ashes will be buried near her home. In lieu of flowers, Margaret would have appreciated any donations in her memory be to Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre, 322 Langs Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada, V8K 1N3. Phone 250-537-0777.

of Abbotsford

passed away on October 27 at the age of 74.

She is survived by:  brother Sid (Dee),

nieces Cindy (Bill), Debbie (Gord), Donna (Brent),

great nieces and nephews Tracey Lynn (Leonard),

Colleen (Derrick) Denise, Shannon,

Brad, Bryce and Kyle, sons Garth (Diana),

John (Joanne), Kerry (Kim),

granddaughters Teryn and Tessa.

Memorial Service November 1, 2011 2:00pm

at Abbotsford Baptist Church

33451 Busby Rd.

with Pastor Murray Archibald officiating. 

Donations maybe sent to BC Cancer Agency.

Peacefully at Portal Village Retirement Home with her daughter by her side, she was promoted to Glory on Saturday, October 22, 2011 in her 93rd year.

Beloved wife of the late Roy Goldie Webster (1994), and loving mother of Mary Lynn Hetherington, of Salt Spring Island, BC and Timothy Hill Webster of Brampton, Ontario.

Predeceased by son-in-law Orland Edward Hetherington, sisters Helen, May, Norah and Joan, brothers John, Robert and William, parents John Alexander Mowat and Ethel (Fraser) Mowat.

Survived also by much loved grand-daughter Brianne Tara Hetherington of Salt Spring Island, BC.

Claire was a teacher with Niagara South Board of Education for 42 years, teaching at one room schools, school rail cars, SS#7, Point Abino, Mather, SS#4 and SS#14. She retired in 1986 from SS#4, the school she originally started teaching in. She was fluent in 7 languages and was instrumental in translating the Bible into Zimbabwee.

Claire has resided at Portal Village Retirement Home for 25 years, being the first resident of the home in 1986.

Clair was a member of the Portal Village Bible Chapel, a retired member of the Teachers Association of Ontario, and Alumni of McMaster and Brock Universities.

The funeral was from Armstrong Funeral Home, 179 Clarence St. Port Colborne, Ontario to Portal Village Chapel. Thursday, October 27th at 1 p.m. Interment at Overholt Cemetary, Bethel, Ontario. Memorial donations may be made to Everyday Publications Inc. (Evangelical Publishing) or Christian Missions in many lands.

Online condolences can be made at www.armstrongfuneralhome.ca.

1937-2011

We regret to announce Roberta’s passing at Lady Minto Hospital on Saturday night, October 15th.

Roberta loved living on Salt Spring though in recent years severe COPD kept her from enjoying all the Island had to offer. Salt Spring was her West Coast Martha’s Vineyard, an island she had frequently visited while growing up in Massachusetts. Roberta and Stan purchased a retirement home on Salt Spring on the second day of a brief visit in 1992. ”The Island chooses its people and it doesn’t take long”, she would say.

Roberta grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated with a BA in English from Boston University. She then completed two years at Boston University’s Law School before transferring to Temple Law School in Philadelphia when she and Stan got married. After four and a half years in Philadelphia, they moved to Montreal where Roberta worked, in turn, as an Assistant General Counsel in the Law Department of Sun Life of Canada, as a U.S. tax specialist for an international accounting firm, and as an Assistant Vice-President in charge of Bell Canada’s Tax Department.

In 1980, a one year stay in Vancouver led, long before the year was over, to a decision to relocate. Roberta began her career in Vancouver by passing the BC Bar, thus becoming one of the very few lawyers in British Columbia qualified to practice in both the U.S. and Canada. She then spent the final fifteen years of her career first with another international accounting firm and then in private practice. She retired in 1996 and a year later she and Stan moved permanently to their Salt Spring home. Until her health interfered, Roberta pursued long deferred interests in tai chi and painting.

Roberta leaves behind, in addition to her husband Stanley, her sister Barbara Stone and her brother-in-law Richard Stone; their two daughters Julie and Donna; her brother-in-law Abe Porter and his three children Matthew, Philip and Lesley Porter; Matthew’s wife Kathy and Phil’s wife Sue; and five grand nieces and nephews.

Roberta was most grateful to all those who cared for her over the last few years—Dr. Bobbie Creighton, always both able and understanding, for all he did, the “on call” physicians and dedicated nursing staff in Lady Minto’s Emergency Unit, and the wonderful and caring members of Salt Spring’s Ambulance Service. Thanks as well to the SSI Fire Department, for first responder assistance when needed and for always being there to help with transfers, and to all the home care workers from Beacon Community Services who visited Roberta.

At Roberta’s request there will be no service. Also, no flowers please. Instead, if you are so inclined, please make a contribution in Roberta’s name either to the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation or to the charity of your choice.