Marilyn, Jim, Jack, Rita, Tyler and Logan,

Aunt Marg was a gem.  I have many, many memories of the times hosted by her and Uncle Art in Newmarket and Gravenhurst and on camping and boating trips to Lake Simcoe and Prince Edward County.    She made the best home-made pancakes anywhere and like her Decker siblings made amazing holiday dinners.  I particularly remember laughing, joking and fooling around during massive kitchen clean-ups after those dinners.  There was a particular outing on the boat on Lake Simcoe, her and mom slathering suntan lotion on all us kids before we jumped into the water.  As pretty well usual I was the last one out; Aunt Marg briskly rubbed me down with a previously used and sopping wet towel, “Your teeth will stop chattering after we’ve got the worst off,” she said, followed by her distinctive laugh!

In my mind, Aunt Marg’s outstanding trait was her generosity (for that matter so was Uncle Art’s).  You don’t think about it when you’re 10 or 16 or even necessarily in your adult years.  But after our father passed, Aunt Marg and Uncle Art very, very generously helped fill the void by involving us more frequently in your lives and making our childhood much brighter.  It didn’t matter the occasion, Marg was always so welcoming, generous and loving to her little nephew and niece.

I’ve shared a photograph from the last time Margaret, Madeline and Doreen were together.  It was taken on 15 April 2006 in Oakville.

Cousin Larry