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MARJORY FRANCES GOWAN
Born: Oct 22, 1946
Date of Passing: Jan 31, 2023
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or Memory
MARJORY FRANCES GOWAN
October 22, 1946 - January 31, 2023
My mom liked to feed the rabbits, near the driveway, by the fence,
Leaving apple peels and carrots, seeing paw prints, where they went.
Fridge was always full, stocked to the brim, not short on food to eat,
Filing index cards with recipes to bake all types of treats.
A mother through and through, concerned what's eaten, worn, how rested,
Are you working? When and where? How long? A survey worth of questions.
Simple lady lacking luxury, nice things, not what she pined for,
For her spirit was with nature, education, had the mind for.
Pro-life advocate and volunteer, for families newly landed,
If you have a mom like this make sure you don't take her for granted.
Growing up, you get excited, house to self, when you're a kid,
But when she's gone, then does it hit you, all from love the things she did.
Marjory lived her entire life in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She grew up attending schools in River Heights, eventually graduating from Kelvin High School in 1964 and later, received her teaching certificate from University of Manitoba.
She'd go on to teach at several schools in Winnipeg School Division No. 1 and took great pride in running her extra curricular "Geography Club".
Ever a fan of Folklorama, her love and interest in other cultures led her to travel extensively throughout the years, Spain, Greece and Portugal to name a few.
Peacefully, Marjory passed away with family by her side after complications from open heart surgery. The family is grateful for the effort, care and compassion shown by the staff at the St. Boniface Hospital, Cardiac Care Unit.
She was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Georgina; and brother Robert. She is survived by her son, Thomas, of Vancouver; sister Janet, of Winnipeg; and brother Ted; and extensive family in Ontario and Manitoba.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre or Fort Whyte Alive, where Marjory was a long time volunteer.
A private service for family and friends will be held at a later date under better weather conditions.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 11, 2023
Condolences & Memories (13 entries)
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My condolonces to Thomas, Janet and all of Marj's family. I was shocked to hear of her passing. Although I had not seen Marj for several years, we both worked at Mulvey School for many years, and had many good conversations and laughs. She was a dedicated teacher and made a difference in the lives of many children over the years. My sincere sympathy. - Posted by: Barb Hilton (friend) on: Jul 22, 2023
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Marjory Gowan played an active volunteer role at FortWhyte Alive for over 20 years. The fit was an excellent one for someone who had a passionate interest in nature and teaching. She was equally at ease with school children and general visitors at FWA, ready to share her knowledge on topics as wide ranging as the prairie flora and fauna, wilderness survival skills and the magic of migration to name a few. Marjory’s most remarkable quality was her insatiable curiosity about everything, especially nature and cultures. She was always the first to jump in to lead a group of international travellers especially from Spanish speaking countries. The FortWhyte community will miss her generosity of spirit. Sincere condolences to Marjory’s family. - Posted by: Michelle Eldridge (Former Director of HR and Volunteer Resources) on: Feb 25, 2023
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Hi Thomas I’m so very sorry about your mom’s passing. I’m in such shock to hear about her I can’t believe it, I just cut her hair before her surgery. She was a very helpful person and I’m glad that I got to know her. Deepest sympathies. Take care. - Posted by: Judy (Hairdresser/friend ) on: Feb 24, 2023
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I owe a lot to Marjory. Her kindness and generosity in helping me when Richard was ill, driving me to and from St B, for helping me care for my mother-in-law till her passing. We no longer kept in touch when I moved to Virden but her friendship and generosity was never forgotten. Rest in God’s embrace Marjory. You have helped so many people. You will definitely be missed. - Posted by: Dionisia (Friend) on: Feb 21, 2023
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My wish to offer my condolences to Thomas, Janet, Pat, and the rest of Marge’s family. We will all miss her. It was such a shock to hear that she passed away so suddenly. She was looking forward to the surgery so that she could get back to doing all the things she loved to do. She was always eager to help everybody. I am forever grateful to her for helping me out when my mother moved into assisted living and again when she passed away. It was wonderful that Thomas was able to visit her at Christmas time. May she rest in peace. - Posted by: Pat Coates (Friend) on: Feb 20, 2023
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We are saddened to hear the passing of an amazing teacher and wonderful friend. Ms. Gowan taught our daughter in Grade 5 at Carpathia many years ago. So many great memories and happy times in her classroom and she made everyone feel important and loved. Rest easy and sincere condolences to you and your family. - Posted by: Heather Furlotte (Parent of a previous Carpathia student) on: Feb 13, 2023
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I remember when I met her as a volunteer at Fort Whyte. She approached me and said " Hi, I'm Marjory, You must be new here". That was the start of a twenty minute conversation with a perfect stranger. She continued to greet anyone with a friendly greeting and a conversation whether you be a volunteer, staff, visitor or a part of one of the school programs. Everyone left as a better person if she approached them. A lot of people will miss her. Rest in Peace Marjory, we all love you. - Posted by: Gary Brown (Friend) on: Feb 13, 2023
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Our sincere condolences to Thomas as well as Marge's extended family. This was such a shock! We had the pleasure of being 'driveway' neighbors with Marge since her move to McDougall street. I will miss our driveway chats- covering everything from current news to gardening, birds etc. - Posted by: Paula and Robert Gangloff (Neighbors) on: Feb 13, 2023
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Deepest condolences to the family. R. I.P. Marjory. - Posted by: tina sangster (Peer volunteer at Fort Whyte Live ) on: Feb 13, 2023
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I am so very sorry to learn of your sister’s passing, Janet. My sincere condolences to you and your family. I know she will be dearly missed. - Posted by: Martha Moffat (Friend) on: Feb 13, 2023
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She was a well liked volunteer, I enjoyed her stories and dedication to volunteering. She will be missed. - Posted by: Glenda Dean (Fort Whyte Volunteer ) on: Feb 13, 2023
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I was fortunate to know Marjory at Fort Whyte Alive. Her knowledge and enthusiastic willingness to share it was very appreciated. Goose flight evenings in particular, she engaged a lot of visitors with information on the geese and migration. Marjory was often able to greet many in their language of origin, having learned a variety of greetings. She will be missed. - Posted by: Pam Leverick (Friend) on: Feb 13, 2023
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Carpathia School families were truly saddened to hear of Marjory’s passing. My daughter was very fortunate to have been in her Grade 5 classroom, as well as a member of the Geography Club. Our beloved Ms. Gowan brought new and exciting adventures to her classroom; she challenged her students by sharing her love of languages and her never ending curiosity. She was kind and thoughtful, and never gave up on anyone. She documented school events meticulously with her camera. The establishment of the Geography Club was a great success and to this day, I can say I learned a lot about Canada from watching the competitions. It was always great fun to run into Marjory at the Children’s Hospital Book Fair, as well as the Friends of the Library book sale at Grant Park in October. My daughter and I would have very long chats with her. I am so very sorry for your loss. She was a remarkable educator, and it was a great privilege to have known her. - Posted by: Larysa Fitkowsky (Carpathia School parent) on: Feb 12, 2023