Margaret Millicent Anderson

Although she was told at a young age that she would never live to her teens due to a medical condition, Margaret Millicent Anderson (nee Down) has passed at the ripe old age of 91 years.

Margaret was predeceased by her beloved infant son, Barry Douglas, and seven years ago by Lorne, her husband of 62 years. Prior to their union Margaret lived in Toronto where she utilized her season tickets at Maple Leaf Gardens to passionately cheer on the Leafs. So devoted was she that she considered not marrying Lorne – the move west would cause her to surrender the tickets. In the end, she made the right choice, married, moved to Calgary, and brought her love of the game with her. Hockey Night in Canada quickly became a family tradition.

Margaret will be remembered as a consummate prankster and lover of a good joke. She treasured having her family around the dinner table set with fine china, but also could never pass up a trip to her favourite Chinese restaurant or drive-through for a Teen Burger. If those could be paired with a gin and tonic, all the better! Margaret worked full time as a legal secretary while raising her family. She sewed clothes, Hallowe’en costumes and mended whatever was in need. She baked delicious fresh pies, made all kinds of jams and laboured over the apples from the backyard crab-apple tree to make the tastiest apple sauce, while always keeping the cookie-jar full! A “family secret” bar-be-que sauce was made in large enough batches to never run dry.

Together, Margaret and Lorne enjoyed travels to Australia, NZ, Europe, coupled with many years of hauling various trailers, starting with Lorne’s hand-built tent-trailer, across Canada and the US. They cruised to Alaska for their 25th wedding anniversary where Margaret danced on the table in a bar in Juneau – a tale she would regale with much laughter. Margaret was a devoted member of St. Mark’s Anglican Church before joining Southminster United Church with Lorne and then later attending St. Matthews United Church. She became an honorary member of the choir at St. Matthews after purchasing new choir gowns for all. Her singing voice ensured she was never an actual member. No one will ever forget hearing her personal rendition of “Happy Birthday” or her most loved song “The Cow with a Green Eyebrow...”

She is lovingly remembered and survived by her children: Wendy, Judy, Bill (Mary Anne) and Beth (Travis); her much loved grandchildren: Marc (Marie-Claude), Ryan and Clare Sackman; Lorne (Caite), Kevin (Isabelle) and Trevor Anderson; Jessica (Aaron) Railton; Daniel (Taylor) Boychuk; and her treasured great-grandchildren: Raphael, Théo and Jack Sackman, Annie Rose Anderson, and Charles Railton. 

Margaret received wonderful care at the four care facilities she was in, lastly at the Wentworth Manor. The Calgary Herald has lost one of its most devoted readers.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret Millicent Anderson, please visit our floral store.