It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Margaret Gentles Burns (nee Nixon) of Rocky Mountain House on February 16, 2021 at the age of 91 years.
Margaret is survived by two daughters, Jane Burns (Susan Murray) and Lorna (Tim) Merkley of Sylvan Lake. She will be missed by her four grandchildren, Robert (Brianna) Merkley, John (Jordan) Merkley, Matthew (Kelsey) Merkley and Julie Burns.
She leaves behind fourteen great-grandchildren, Ailli, Jovi, Payton, Quinn, Rylie, Van, Liv, Violet, Camelon, Ainsley, Oliver, Edwin, Gavin, and Alec. She also leaves to mourn her much beloved brother Robert Nixon, niece Ann Axon and great-nephew Stuart Axon in the UK.
Born in Falkirk, Scotland on February 16, 1930, Margaret endured the hardships of the Great Depression and WWII, spending nights in air raid shelters and wearing a gas mask to write school exams. She excelled in academics and athletics.
As a young lady, she cycled all over Scotland and travelled throughout Europe. She held various administrative roles, including assisting members of the Polish Jewish community to settle and obtain home mortgages after the war, as well as teaching shorthand to BBC reporters.
After immigrating to Canada in the seventies, she held positions at Canadian Mental Health Services and the Michener Centre, retiring in 1993. She maintained an enduring relationship with close colleagues Roberta Hoffman and Helga Ross of Red Deer. Margaret was on the executive of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators.
After retiring, she founded Edgewater Consulting, devoting her time to developing and writing policy and accreditation manuals.
Margaret was proud of her post-secondary studies in computer science as the only "granny" in the class, mastering Pascal, C, and Fortran computer languages. She was a trailblazer who charted her own course. She was passionate about her family, music and dance of all varieties, and indigenous art. Canadian geography and geology fired her imagination. She loved the true north strong and free.
Margaret battled Parkinson's disease for the last nine years of her life but maintained a razor-sharp mind and spritely disposition. The family would like to thank the staff of The Ravines at Park Avenue for their excellent care and loving attention.
A private family funeral will be held on March 6 at the Centre for Spiritual Living in Red Deer and a graveside memorial service will be held on May 22 at 11 a.m. at the West Meadows Cemetery in Sylvan Lake. Both services will be Zoomed.
Condolence for the family, may be sent to: www.sylvanlakefuneralhome.ca
Cremation entrusted to Rocky Mountain Crematorium, Rocky Mountain House, AB
Sylvan Lake and Rocky Funeral Homes and Crematorium, your Golden Rule Funeral Homes, entrusted with the arrangements, 403 887-2151
Sylvan Lake and Rocky Funeral Homes and Crematorium
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