Margaret J. Barnable (nee Crane)
July 09, 1934 – May 11, 2020
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our loving mother Margaret on Monday, May 11, 2020, at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s NL, at the age of 85 years.
She was predeceased by her devoted husband and love of her life, John (Jack) Barnable; her parents Patrick (Paddy) and Mary Crane (nee O’Toole); her infant sisters Catherine and twins Jean and Joan, sister Gloria (Crane) White, brother William (Bill) Crane; her nephew Boyd Payne and step-niece, Lana Pinksen (Bill and Julie). Her oldest brother Raymond Crane (Eileen) joined her in eternal rest on May 13, 2020. She was also predeceased by many beloved in-laws and relations on her husband Jack’s side of the family.
Leaving to mourn, her four children Jackie (Barnable) Dyson and Neil Barnable (Lisa), of Winnipeg; Judy (Barnable) Shadlock (Ian) of Norwich, UK; Wendy Barnable (Tim) of Halifax; her seven grandchildren Courtney Dyson (Alec), Adam Dyson, Joel Dyson (Roxane), Maggie Barnable (Ethan) and Kate Barnable, all of Winnipeg; Kyle Shadlock (Evlyn) and Kaitlyn Shadlock of Norwich, UK; and her two great-granddaughters Abigail and Kaia in Winnipeg who will miss their “G-Nanny” so very much.
Also mourning her loss, her sisters Patricia Crane and Anne Marie Sullivan (Ronnie), brother Randy Crane (Madonna), brother-in-law Ron White (Lucy) and sister-in-law Julie Crane (Bill), as well as her remaining Barnable in-laws, brother-in-law Stan Barnable and his wife Frances, and brother-in-law Bernard Agriesti (Dorothy).
As a matriarch of both the Crane and the Barnable families, Auntie Marg leaves behind many cherished nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She loved you all dearly. Special mention to her niece Krista, who was like another daughter to her. She will also be missed by her many cousins in Boston, USA, descendants of her mother, with whom she maintained close relationships over the years.
Mom was born in Ferryland, NL and grew up on Sunny Hill. She attended Littledale Teacher’s College in St. John’s and began her teaching career in Calvert, NL at the young age of 19. She married her handsome fireman Jack in 1955 and began raising her family in Ferryland. In 1964, they moved to Labrador, to the “little house that Jack built”, where they lived for 28 years. She started teaching Kindergarten at Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) School in 1967 and was known to generations of loving students as “Mrs. B” until retiring in 1991. They returned “Home from Home” in 1992 and took up residence in Mount Pearl until Dad’s passing in 2002. Mom moved to Tiffany Village Retirement Residence in St. John’s in 2012. She loved her life there, and made many dear friends, including all the staff.
Mom was a very social person, who thrived on maintaining old friendships and cultivating new ones. She often said she was never bored, there was always “something to do”. She loved a good game of Scrabble, playing cards, doing crosswords, and knitting. She also had a passion for the arts – poetry, writing, attending dance recitals, plays, theatre, live music and concerts. Over her lifetime she was a tireless volunteer, involved in the OLQP school community and parish, the Catholic Women’s League, the Newfoundland Teachers’ Association, the Snowflake Figure Skating Club and many others.
Most of all, Mom loved being surrounded by family and friends, and it is a cruel blow of fate that current conditions do not permit large gatherings so that we can grieve together and honour her life and the beautiful person that she was.
A Celebration of Life will be held as soon as larger gatherings are permitted. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mom’s memory to support the restoration of historic Ferryland Church, a beautiful stone church that was a focal point in Mom’s life.
To donate, you may send cheque or money order to Holy Trinity Restoration Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 195, Ferryland, NL A0A 2H0. Donations may also be made online through GoFundMe (or visit www.gofundme.com and search Margaret Barnable).
Cremation has taken place. Online condolences may be shared at www.cauls.ca. We also welcome your condolences and memories of Mom on Facebook (In Loving Memory of Margaret Barnable).
She will be cherished and missed forever.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Margaret J Barnable nee Crane 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Torbay, Province: T-N