MARION GRACE STEWART

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MARION GRACE STEWART

When Marion Grace Stewart was born, she wasn't expected to live for more than a few days. She was saved by her cousin Dr. Stuart McInnes, a young surgeon at Grace Hospital, who performed a new, life-saving operation to correct her pyloric stenosis. Over 91 years later, on June 28, 2020, she passed away peacefully with her family at her side. Hers was a life well lived and she was ready to go. Marion was kind, loving, thoughtful, active, and interested to the end.
Born in Glenboro, Manitoba on November 6, 1928 to Neil Albert McIntyre and Christie Anne (nee Macdonald), she grew up on the prairies, and enjoyed exploring the Carberry sandhills and summers with the Ross aunts and uncles at their cottage at Matlock. A fine student, she graduated with a B.A. from United College in 1950. Later that year she married Reginald Bruce Stewart and moved to Flin Flon, MB where they built a home, enjoyed the outdoors, and made many lasting friendships. Bruce worked as a chemist for Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting until 1955, when they moved to Noranda, QC. Their son David Bruce was born later that year. In 1962 they moved to Deep River, ON for a year before moving to Pinawa, MB, in August 1963 to help start up the community and the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment.
Marion was a founding member of the Pinawa Christian Fellowship and taught Sunday School for many years. She enjoyed gardening, swimming, picnics on the beach, canoeing and sailing in the summer; cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter; travel, music, theatre, reading, crosswords, and her family and friends. She was blessed by a loving marriage to her soulmate, Bruce, that lasted over 55 years and cared for him throughout his hard struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy. Together they took many wilderness canoe trips and travelled the world. Later, she enjoyed travels in the Caribbean with old friends.
Marion inherited her dad's green thumb and always had beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. From many years she grew plants for sales to raise money for the Save the Children's Fund, and was thrilled to be presented to Princess Anne, the Fund's patron. Marion was delighted when Bruce married Cecile Louise Barsalou and thrilled by the arrival of her granddaughters, Heather Anne and Ceilidh Erin. She followed their activities and accomplishments with great interest and looked forward to their visits and calls.
Marion was quick to help others and made strong, lasting friendships with people of all ages. In addition to her many cousins, and old and new friends from Pinawa, she was still in touch with friends from grade school, university, Flin Flon, Noranda, and Deep River days. She will be missed.
Marion was, and her family are, truly grateful for the support she received from Rev. Rob Murray and the Pinawa Christian Fellowship, the compassionate care she received from the home care, Pinawa Hospital, Whitemouth Personal Care Home and Selkirk Hospital staff, and for the kindness of friends and relatives.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 25, 2020