Parcourez la nécrologie de Marjorie Knutson July 7 1930 – March 11 résidant dans la province Ontario pour le détail des funérailles.
Being born on the prairies during the Great Depression suggests an early life of privation, but Marjorie (née Brown) remembers a happy, comfortable childhood with her three sisters. Marj only owned two skirts, but she knew girls who only owned one. When her skirt was being cleaned, at least Marj was dressed.
From her Saskatchewan roots, she went on to travel the globe, and foster an enormous social life revolving around her homes in Toronto, Muskoka and Sarasota. At various times she also resided in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, London, Chicago and Buffalo. Marj was used to being on the move.
As her husband Gordon Knutson often said, Marj organized 13 house moves during their first 15 years of marriage, without breaking a sweat.
Marj had a lot of energy, whether she was protesting the construction of the Spadina Expressway, or meeting strangers and turning them into lifelong friends (a knack that resulted in a dozen people residing in the Knutson home for extended periods of hospitality).
Marj earned a degree in physical education at UBC, and at the age of 89, she was still trying to improve her foot speed by doing reps up and down her condo’s hallway.
Her interests included: collecting antique silver, brass rubbing, The Garden Club, environmental issues, sailing, theatre, volunteering, needlepoint, and reading (she was such an avid reader in high school she wouldn’t play baseball in the outfield without a book in hand). She windsurfed in her 70s. Skied in her 80s. And played tennis and golf in her 90s.
Her first date with Gord Knutson was at a golf course where, trying to impress her, he famously sliced his first shot so badly it went into the neighboring lumber yard. Marj gave him a mulligan, which years later led to marriage.
Marj and Gord traipsed off to post-war London where Marj taught in some of its poorest schools. Schools so needy the cooking class couldn’t afford actual food ingredients. Marj felt terrible for her students and often bought them lunch.
Later, Marj supported Gord during his medical studies by teaching grades five to eight in Montreal, which she loved. St. Urbain street and St. Laurent had rougher schools than she was used to, but she preferred teaching there because she felt she could make a difference.
In the 1960s, every summer Marj made the westward trek to Lumsden Beach outside Regina, where she once saved a child from drowning. She went to visit with her sisters and parents and allow her four kids to bond with their extended family members: the Korvens, MacNeills and MacDiarmids.
The harmonious relations between these four families led to decades of shared vacations and reunions, many with Marj as organizer. Every few weeks she typed a long, chatty letter with three carbon copies, and mailed one to each sister (regularly rotating the carbon order for each sister to share the burden of poor legibility).
After 71 years of happy marriage, the love of Marj’s life died. The day after Gord’s memorial, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. It became inoperable, and as her health swiftly declined, Marj opted for MAID, happily ending her life on her own terms, surrounded by loving family in her home.
Her warmth, curiosity, and generosity has made her a model for all four children. Marjorie leaves behind: Ingrid (Bruce), Andrea (Erik), Carl (Tina) and Eric (Philip); and five grandchildren, Greta (Brwa), Holliday (Ben), William (Samantha), Antonia and Gillian.
A memorial will be held at Morley Bedford Funeral Home at 159 Eglinton Avenue West on Wednesday, March 27 from 6-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers – we hope you can think a warm thought about Marj.
2024
Morley Bedford Funeral Services Ltd
Décès pour la Ville:Toronto, Province: Ontario
avis deces Marjorie Knutson July 7 1930 – March 11
nécrologie Marjorie Knutson July 7 1930 – March 11
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Marjorie Knutson July 7 1930 – March 11 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.