Media Release - For Immediate Release

September 23 2010

University Mourns Margo Marshall

Saint Mary's University is saddened by the recent passing of Margo Marshall. Margo was the wife of the Roland Marshall, former Professor of Philosophy.

Margo and Roland have been been good friends of Saint Mary's for a long time. Together they established several awards at the university including the Joyce Elizabeth Marshall Hsia Poetry Award, the Margó Marshall Entrance Bursary, the Margó Marshall Scholarship and the Marshall Award for Excellence in a Masters in Philosophy Dissertation Award.

Her obituary

MARSHALL (Takacs) Margo - Passed away peacefully Sunday, September 19, 2010, just weeks before her 82nd birthday surrounded by her family. Margo leaves behind Rowland, her devoted husband (and dance partner) of almost 60 years (married October 7, 1950). She will be deeply missed by daughters, Kathleen (Eric Doucette), Toronto; Margo (Hugues Letourneau), Quebec City; Tracy (Mike Leal), Seaforth and Goose Bay; and sons, Michael (Rebecca Mosher), Halifax; Bruce (Sharon McKnight), Belfast, Northern Ireland; brother, Joseph Takacs, Windsor, Ont; nieces, Andra, Paula, Dana and nephew, David; grandchildren, Kandice and Sean Doucette; Yvan and Guy Letourneau; Kathryn and Rachel Leal; Anna and Mervyn Marshall and Jennifer NcNeil. Margo was preceased by daughter, Tatiana. Margo was born in Tisza Polgar, Hungary on October 15, 1928, to Joseph and Margaret (Csombor) Takacs. She and her family emigrated to Windsor, Ont., in search of a better life when she was almost two. As a young girl, Margo worked summers picking tobacco and potatoes to help her family. In 1948 her father returned to Hungary which was under communist control; Margo accompanied him. While there, she briefly attended university. She returned to Canada in 1949 to study medical technology at Holy Names Academy in Windsor. Margo and Rowland crossed paths while in elementary school; they met again on October 6, 1949, and married a year later on October 7, 1950. Margo liked to relate how she and Rowland (a naval officer) “wandered the world” in the early years of their marriage. In 1962 they decided to settle in The Old Rectory in Seaforth, a small coastal village that captivated them from their first visit in 1955. While Rowland settled into his new career as a university professor at Saint Mary’s University, Margo devoted time to her family, pets and community. An intelligent and curious individual, Margo was a voracious reader from an early age: as a child she was already reading books from the Hornblower series. Library and bookmobile staff happily obliged her requests for books on a wide range of topics. In 1970, while doing volunteer work at the Nova Scotia Hospital, she won a quilt in a raffle. That was a turning point in Margo’s life; she taught herself to quilt and honed her skills while making quilts for family members and charitable organizations. In 1997, she realized that through her quilt making she could tell stories in her “own strange fashion”. Between 1997 and 2002, she created a unique series of 58 handkerchief quilts (featuring recycled hankies, buttons, appliqué, rubberstamping and more) which attest to her talent as an artist. With the book, One Handkerchief Makes a Small Quilt and the blog, onehankyquiltmaking, Margo became a published author and blogger at age 80. She enjoyed finding titles (often humorous) for her many quilts, and as a born storyteller was a welcome guest speaker at local quilt guilds. She’d explain how stories in the news, such as the sinking of the submarine Kirsk or the beetle infestation of Point Pleasant Park in 2000 inspired her quilts. Margo was always interested in the environment around her. Her binoculars were always at hand as she observed life – birds, wildlife, terrible storms and even a Sea King helicopter with engine problems – that unfolded on the shoreline. An animal lover, Margo encouraged her children to rescue strays and injured animals. Family members remember the gull in the bathtub and the “pet” squirrel that escaped from the cage the children had so carefully built for him. Treasured pets included her loyal companion Pumpkin (a Yorkie-Poo), Jericho (a Java Rice bird who delighted her with his songs) and even a television-watching spider. Margo’s creative talents were evident in many aspects of her life: she was an excellent and inventive cook and a gardener with a love for rosebushes which her family gave her on special occasions. A witty conversationalist, Margo enjoyed meeting new people, exchanging ideas and was never shy to express her opinion. Margo was a cardmaker; family and friends enjoyed receiving her hand-crafted birthday, anniversary and “thank you” cards. Margo was an exceptionally generous and caring individual who gave of her time and resources to numerous community and charitable organizations: The Chezzetcook Historical Society, Seaforth Community Hall, and Saint Mary’s University Faculty Women’s Association, to name just a few. She believed in the benefits of education, and set up education funds for each of her nine grandchildren. She established endowments at the AGNS, NSCAD, St. Mary’s, and the University of Windsor. She will be sorely missed by members of her family, her many friends, young and old, and by her community. Arrangements have been entrusted to Rowlings Funeral Home, Musquodoboit Harbour. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stoke Foundation of Nova Scotia or Hope For Wildlife Society in Seaforth. Margo’s family would like to thank caring staff members of the Dartmouth General Hospital (4-West and 3-East) and friends who kindly offered support during the week Margo was in hospital.

Her son Michael has posted some of his thoughts about his Mom on the Internet. You can read his posting here.

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For More Information:

Steve Proctor
External Affairs
Saint Mary's University
(902) 420.5513
E-mail: steve.proctor@smu.ca
www.smu.ca

This page last modified Tuesday, 11-Jan-2011 11:52:02 AST