Margaret is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Patrick; daughter Karen (Kevin), grandsons Devin, Ian and Markus, and their father, Graeme; son Stephen (Sandy), and grandsons Matthew and Nathan.

Margaret was born in High River Alberta, the only child of Reverend Canon Frederick and Margaret “Rita” (Banister) Vaughan-Birch. She was close to her Aunt Emmeline (Banister) Hull and had fond childhood memories of visiting her at the Hull family home ‘Langmore’ in Calgary.

As a teenager, Margaret’s family moved to Sidney, BC, where her father ministered the Anglican Church parish, which included St. Andrew’s Anglican Church and Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Margaret lived in the rectory beside St. Andrew’s.

After attending school in Sidney, Margaret became a weekly boarder at Norfolk House School in Victoria, where she made many lifelong friends, (her “Norfolk House girls”), attending school reunions across five decades.

It was through her connections at Norfolk House that she met Patrick. They were married July 22, 1967 in Victoria and celebrated their wedding by driving across Canada to attend Expo ‘67 in Montreal. This was the wonderful beginning of a lifetime of travelling together. Their destinations included many parts of the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, Europe, China, Japan, South America, the Galápagos Islands, and Canada. Their most recent trip was nostalgic cruise on the Rhine River.

Margaret loved learning and completed her teacher’s training at the University of British Columbia in 1965, starting her career at J.W. Sexsmith Elementary School in Vancouver.

In 1967, Margaret and Patrick moved to Kitimat where they both taught and enjoyed an adventure in the north. From 1969 to 1976, they lived and taught in Surrey, BC, before relocating to Kimberley where Margaret taught at Lindsay Park Elementary. She was insatiably curious about many topics, including astronomy and paleontology, which she incorporated into her classroom lessons. She led her family on trips to NASA, in Cape Canaveral, and the Royal Tyrell Museum.

Margaret and Patrick thought that moving to Kimberley would be for only two years, but fell in love with the East Kootenays and made it their permanent home. Margaret became very active in the local community, supporting the North Star Figure Skating Club in the 70s and 80s, and volunteering for many organizations including: the Festival of the Arts, the Taiwanese Lantern Festival, BC Senior Games, CADS, and alongside Patrick, at countless Rotary events. Margaret was a dedicated member of Beta Sigma Phi. Her sorority sisters became cherished friends, attending conferences together and volunteering extensively. Margaret hosted four Rotary Exchange Students, and most recently served as a member of Seniors Helping Seniors. Margaret was always more comfortable giving than receiving.

Margaret also had a lifelong interest in sports, playing high school basketball, and later picking up cross country skiing and golf which she loved to do with Patrick. Even more than playing, Margaret was an avid sports spectator. She was a (long-suffering!) Canucks fan, and followed tennis, curling, and the PGA. One of her favourite experiences combined her love of sports with her passion for international friendship, when she served as an official host for VIPs at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Beyond all else, Margaret’s greatest joy was being an energetic and caring mom and ‘Gramma’. She loved taking the grandkids to sleepovers at the Vancouver Aquarium, outings to Science World, helping with homework, and celebrating every special occasion with thoughtful cards and delicious home-baked treats. Her genuine delight in her grandsons’ busy lives ensured that everyone knew they were special and deeply loved.

The family would like to thank the medical professionals that provided her care: Dr. Lowden, the Kelowna and East Kootenay Regional Hospital oncology teams, Dr. Tetrault and the Kimberley Community Care Nurses.

A celebration of Margaret’s life will be held in the summer, at a date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Margaret’s memory may be made to BC Children’s Hospital, or to a charity of your choice.

Margaret’s love and skills made such a tremendous difference for so many.

She will be dearly missed.

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