Margaret died at her home, peacefully, surrounded by her family on January 30, 2023. She had a rich life, a great marriage, strong relationships with her family and friends. She felt grateful and at peace with a life well-lived. She was born in Scotland and grew up at Burnside cottage near Carnoustie. Margaret met John Leslie Gibb Reid as a schoolgirl and began a long love affair that led to almost 50 years of happy marriage. As a young couple they loved to camp and fish in the Scottish countryside. In 1966, they immigrated to Canada and started a life in south-western Ontario. They had three children and a wide circle of friends and a great Border Collie called Mandy. After John’s retirement in 1994, they enjoyed adventures exploring Ontario’s backroads and fishing streams. They also returned to Scotland to visit family and walk familiar landscapes. After John died suddenly in 2003, Margaret carried on for 20 years building a rich life and fulfilling her interests independently. She loved a good book, an afternoon at the Bingo or a coffee tour to Erieau to watch the cormorants and waves on Lake Erie. She is remembered for her beauty and style, honesty, humour and great kindness. She was feisty to the end and parted with good advice for her kids: “Live your lives and live them well.”
In Canada, she is survived by her three children Stuart (David Sereda), Karen (Ward Parker) and Lynn (Bert Barbour); grandchildren Ashley Reid Burgess (Delvin), Darrin Jacques (Jamie) Courtney Reid (Brittany Lee), Nicole Reid and Madison Reid; and great-grandchildren Adyson Reid, Neicy Burgess, Aubriana Burgess, Ashton Jacques, Autumn Jacques and Sieyanah Impens. She was predeceased by her parents David Alexander Leslie and Mary Walker Low Leslie, as well as her brothers Douglas and Stewart and an infant sister. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Mary; nephew, David, cousins and extended family in Scotland. Also surviving are her brothers-in-law Angus and Ewan, and sister-law, Donna, and their families. Great friends, neighbours and extended family, Dixie, Delbert and Isaac Jackson helped Margaret stay independent and happy in her comfy farmhouse over the last two decades.
In Margaret’s memory, donations to the non-profit agency FreeHelp Chatham Kent are encouraged. “Make every moment count.”
The family are planning a celebration of Margaret’s life to be held in the spring.
