December 8, 1938 — November 18, 2024

Margaret passed away on the 18th of November from an aggressive cancer in her lungs and throat. She is survived by her son Dean (Missy), daughter Blair (Tom), grandsons Scott, Mark (Sheridan) and great grandsons Charley and Chet. She was predeceased by her husband Mike, father Harold, mother Iris, brother Bob and daughter in-law Pam. She had many nieces, nephews, cousins and adopted grandchildren included Brittany, Shelby, and all her grandson’s friends and hockey teammates.

Margaret avidly read obituaries, and disliked when details were missing. So details it is:

She was born in Revelstoke to a family that brewed beer and bottled pop. She had one brother and seven male cousins. She was the apple of her father’s eye and her brother adored her. She went to University of BC to become a teacher, though her mother wanted her to find a doctor husband. Instead her husband Mike, a highway construction worker, introduced himself by following her home on the side walk in his red convertible sports car. She was smitten.

Margaret got a teaching job in Sicamous which allowed Mike to start Actall Contracting in Kamloops with Darcy Ball. She then taught at NorthKam before starting the home economic department at the new Valleyview Secondary. Because she wore ‘hot pants’ to work the school could not ban the students wearing them. Since her parenting motto was “what I don’t know doesn’t hurt me”, she quit teaching the year Dean started high school. She did not want to know if her son was called to the office. She became the second president of the Valleyview Figure Skating Club and even took her preliminary figure test. Because Mike got to go to Russia for the ’72 hockey series, she would go there for the ’74 series. She loved St Petersburg’s pastries. After starting the marina in 1976, they spent more and more time in Scotch Creek, finally moving there full time in 1980.

Margaret started every morning with a game of solitaire. You could not interrupt her during this time. It was her meditation. Her favourite invention was the photocopier (then laminator). Every time she pushed print, Blair would yell out timber! Christmas was her favourite holiday. She started making needlepoint Christmas stockings for Pidge and Bud Loftus’s pets, starting with their horse DK. This snowballed into hundreds of stockings for many people that touched her. She also handcrafted advent calendars and tree skirts. Her Grandson’s and great grandson’s stocking are intricate pieces of art.

When Dean and Pam asked Margaret how she felt about becoming a grandparent, she did not answer but headed into town for errands. She came back with a carload of baby toys. Her grandsons became a central part of her life – driving them to hockey, mountain biking, sledding, wakeparks and many other activities. When you started her car, rap music came blaring out at top volume.

After Mike passed away from cancer, she embraced travel. She often said “when my husband left me”… so Blair had to clarify to people that she was not divorced but widowed. She had her dream house built on the spot where the family camped when the marina was being constructed. It was based on a gazebo and full of colours – purple, yellow and turquoise. She stuffed it full of favourite trinkets. Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She joined a breast cancer dragonboat team so she could go to Australia for an international festival. The team was very important to her. She travelled to festivals in Australia, Arizona, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand.

The Captains Village Marina annual Poker Run became another passion. She loved seeing all the people. The other annual event was the July 1st bicycle parade, for which she loved dressing up and decorating her bike to lead the parade. There are no words for the excitement Margaret felt at seeing her great grandsons Charley and Chet. She loved watching them play on the beach in front of her house.

Over the years she was known to many as Margaret, Mrs. Acton, Mrs Captain Mike, Auntie Mubbits, Grandma, and her favourite GG. Please think of her when you wear a team shirt or brightly coloured clothes.

• Date : 2024-11-18
• Location : Kamloops