MARGARET ELIZABETH POHORECKY (COWIE)

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MARGARET ELIZABETH POHORECKY (nee COWIE) May 22, 1932 Peacefully, age 75, Saturday, January 5, 2008 in Winnipeg. The positive lessons her life taught us include gentleness, kindness, patience, endurance. She was humanistic yet seemed to believe in something greater than any of us, but never named it. Margaret was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, into the clan MacLellan, youngest of four children born to the country doctor George Cowie (1893 - 1992) - a righteous southern Ontario Scot and mother Mary (nee Nicol, 1892 - 1966) - an immigrant from Aberdeen, Scotland. Margaret enjoyed a happy childhood of privilege despite the raging depression. Her father was one of thirteen siblings so she enjoyed extensive kin support. A sad note struck when eldest brother (Sgt.) Eric was killed in 1944 overseas in the Second World War serving in the RCAF. Her family moved to North Bay where she completed secondary school. She was an excellent student, avid reader, and especially enjoyed music, playing piano, dancing, singing and such gentle pursuits but also some sports like basketball (despite short stature). Post high school, Margaret worked in the service industry for a stint at a holiday resort, gathering personal experiences and memories. In the early-1950s, she bravely ventured solo westward to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba and pursued Liberal Arts for several years. While there, she enjoyed many activities including choir. While there, she developed some life-long friendships. While there, she met and soon married Roman Michael Pohorecky, brother of her varsity friend Genya. Margaret then joined the ranks of mothers and homemakers and raised three children in a small house in North End, Winnipeg. She had a knack for understanding children, was always a kind mother, and loved all her charges unconditionally. She had patience with children and allowed them to bloom in their own directions. Her own mother passed away in 1966 of complications from diabetes, foreshadowing her own future decline. In the early 1970s Margaret rejoined the commercial workforce to buttress family income and worked in the service industry at United Grain Growers, then Winnipeg Family Services. In 1976 she was challenged with the untimely death of her husband of 20 years due to renal failure. Diabetes struck her hard in the mid-1980s and dogged her from her early fifties onward. Despite life's challenges, Margaret continued to enjoy her family, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren in her retirement years and remained in Winnipeg. She will be remembered as a caring, warm, giving, sympathetic, and compassionate woman Her remaining two siblings, both of the Toronto area, predeceased her: (George) Albert Cowie in 1998; Doreen Haslam in 2004. Special thanks to Deer Lodge for respectfully comforting Margaret in her final days. Margaret is survived by: daughter Roma; son Eric and his children Sarah and Alexander; daughter Mary Heather and David Boyce and their children Mary Gwynevere, Angus, Grant, grandson Eric and his children Nikki and Rylan Benson and their mom Amanda; and extended family members she would be proud to include: Stephania Pohorecky, Genya Johnson, Irena Pohorecka, Lester Nichols, Chantal Vincent, Alicia Danielson and all their families. In accordance with her wishes, no public funeral nor memorial service will be scheduled. Her cremated remains will return to her birthplace Kirkland Lake. Peace.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 19, 2008