Margaret (Marg) Mary Croft (nee Curran)
October 5, 1935 – May 7, 2022
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Passed peacefully away at Chancellor Park Nursing Home, Margaret Croft (née Curran), aged 86 years.
Margaret, known to most as Marg, was predeceased by her husband George, brother Raymond and sister Mary Byrne, her parents, Edward and Anna Curran, sisters-in-law Jean Payne and Madonna Dalton and brothers-in-law Michael Quirke and Michael Dalton. She leaves behind her children Cheryl (Malcolm) MacKinnon, Mona (Benny) Boland, Marlene, George (Linda Crooks Joyce), Judy (Derrick) Petrushko, Kenneth (Beth Nilsen), Bonita (James O’Connor), and Rodney (Anne Marie); grandchildren Ian and Neil MacKinnon, Mark (Courtney) Boland, Krista (Matthew) Kennedy, Andrea Chidley, Blake Petrushko, Stephen and Lee Croft, Grace and Callum O’Connor and Erin and Meghan Croft; great-granddaughters Caelan MacKinnon, Everly Croft Maloney and Reese Boland; her sisters Patricia Quirke, Clara (Stan) Wallace and Lorraine (Jim) Dunne, and brother Jerome (Delores) Curran; sisters-in-law Eleanor (Sandy) Powell, Esther (Richard) Barrett and Cindy Curran; and a large circle of nieces and nephews, extended relatives and friends.
Marg was born on Sunny Hill in Ferryland, Newfoundland, the oldest of Edward and Anna Curran’s seven children. Strong and independent, Marg defied conventions of her time by moving to St. John’s to pursue further education and a career in Commercial Administration, working at Fort Pepperell, the U.S. Air Force base in St. John’s and later at Dun & Bradstreet.
In 1959 Marg was enticed back to the Southern Shore to marry her handsome sweetheart George, and they started a life together in Aquaforte. They raised eight children in a household full of music, laughter, boisterous debate and conversation, and general chaos. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her high expectations of her children were balanced with a soft heart and easy smile.
Despite the challenges of having eight children ranging from 2 to 12, in 1972 Marg’s inner feminist resurged and she returned to the workforce, taking a position as secretary at Baltimore High School. There she remained for more than 25 years, helping to keep not just her own children but an entire generation of Southern Shore children – and their teachers – on the straight and narrow.
Marg was known for her remarkable memory, reminiscent of her father who was the Storyteller of Sunny Hill. She could recite the family trees and birthdays of at least half the Southern Shore. Her sharp memory was matched by her sharp wit (and, when she thought necessary, sharp tongue!) Her colourful turns of phrase could fill an entire new volume of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.
Marg loved music, particularly Irish music. Hers was a familiar and beloved voice on concerts and at gatherings of family and friends, and in her final years amongst the residents at Chancellor Park and Alderwood care homes. We will never hear “Fields of Athenry” or “Slievenamon” without thinking of her.
Margaret’s family will be eternally grateful to the wonderful staff at Chancellor Park, who went above and beyond to make her happy and comfortable. A special thank you is extended to recreation staff Zak, Kyle, Erin and Natalie, whose kindness and attention greatly enriched Margaret’s final years.
Visitation will be held at Fahey’s Funeral Home in Fermeuse on Tuesday May 10 and Wednesday May 11, from 2 to 5pm and 7-9pm. A funeral mass will be held at Holy Trinity Church in Ferryland at 2:00 pm on Thursday, May 12.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in éMargaret’s honour to Old School Intergenerational Projects (oldschoolipnl.com)
SERVICES
Visitation
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Fahey’s Funeral Home – Fermeuse
Main Street
Fermeuse, NL
Visitation
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Fahey’s Funeral Home – Fermeuse
Main Street
Fermeuse, NL
Visitation
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Fahey’s Funeral Home – Fermeuse
Main Street
Fermeuse, NL
Visitation
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Funeral Service
Thursday, May 12, 2022
2:00 PM
Holy Trinity Church
Main Road
Ferryland, NL A0A 2G0
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Margaret Marg Mary Croft nee Curran October 5 1935 May 7 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Fermeuse, Province: T-N