Just one week shy of her 98 ^th birthday, Margaret quietly left us to join Joe, her husband of 70 years, leaving behind their four sons: David (Cathy), Douglas (Margaret), Jamie (Shirley) and Rob (Karen). She was a grandmother to ten, a great-grandmother to twelve and a much-loved aunt and cousin to many others.

Born on the family farm in Newcastle, Ontario to Pearl and Harry Pearce, Marg inherited her father's sense of wonder at the world around her. Her curiosity was often an amusement to family as she would ask innocent questions about her location or how things worked. She left her position at the bank in Newcastle to marry and raise a family, which she did alone when the army took Joe across the country and around the world as a soldier, officer and peacekeeper. As an army bride, she lived at the farm during WWII and then in Ajax, Calgary, Camp Borden, Kingston, Regina and Oakville. In Regina she took a job outside the home, working in the payroll office of Regina Motor Products. In 1962, her fellow workers voted her to be the first "Man of the Month" at the dealership. The honour came with one month's use of a brand-new Chevy II automatic .

Oakville and St. Paul's United Church were home for 54 years. Church life and fellowship were important to her, and she faithfully served the St. Paul's congregation in many capacities, including as a choir member, couples club organizer, rummage sale convener, UCW president and treasurer and greeter.

Marg took up bowling in an army league and continued to excel at the sport into her nineties, winning many trophies over the years. She played

badminton as a church social activity into her eighties, enjoyed bridge into her nineties and was a regular at the evening swim in the public pool behind the house on Sunnybrook Court. As she swam laps, she often wondered why her neighbours were just standing in the water talking. She wore out two dictionaries doing the daily crossword in the Globe and Mail. At family gatherings, she was an avid game participant, which led to considerable amusement at times. Although she stopped playing in the annual Pearce Picnic softball game in her seventies, she still felt like the 16-year-old who loved to pick up a bat.

Marg knew that people were created as equals and accepted diversity without question. Although she claimed to have been a shy person, this was not easy to detect, partly because she knew she had a responsibility to do her best to participate, to help others and to live her faith openly. This made her a favourite aunt, a beloved church personality and a good friend to many in her community.

It was her decision to move from home to the Vistamere residence in Oakville at age 93, rejoicing that she would never have to cook again. After over 97 years of excellent health, Marg was finally slowed down by a failing heart and entered hospital shortly after attending her final Hockin Christmas gathering. She approached this stage of her life in a pragmatic way, recognizing that she was worn out and no longer had an independent life, but that her life would continue to run its course. Visits by family members and church friends and the frequent interactions with hospital staff and volunteers were cherished. We like to think that dad came for her before another day began on July 19.

A celebration of Marg's life will take place on August 10, 2019 at St. Paul's United Church, 454 Rebecca Street, Oakville. Please join the family for a visitation at 11:00, the service at noon and a reception following. The family is grateful to the many visitors and especially to the staff of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for the care shown to Marg over the last six months. Those wishing to honour her remarkable life in a tangible way are invited to make a donation to St. Paul's United Church http://www.stpaulsoakville.com/ , the Oakville Hospital Foundation http://oakvillehospitalfoundation.com/ or a charity of your choice.