Margaret Lorimer

Mrs. Margaret Ann Lorimer age 88 years, a resident of Thunder Bay passed away peacefully with her children by her side on Monday, March 20, 2017 at the T.B.R.H.S.C. Mother was born in Winnipeg and brought to Port Arthur by her parents, Lillian and Hyland Arbuckle, at the age of ten months. She graduated from Port Arthur Collegiate and hence to Victoria College of the University of Toronto. She graduated from Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts and later from Sir George Williams College (now Concordia) with a Business Diploma and Lakehead University with a Bachelor of Education. Mother was lucky to have had the opportunity to have two careers. The first was with Courtaulds (Canada) Limited, Montreal, manufacturer of viscose rayon, as technical assistant in the Development Department under Dr. C. Eugene Coke. The second spanned twenty years as a teacher with the Lakehead Board of Education.

She was a lifetime volunteer with her church. As a highschool student she taught Sunday school at St. Paul’s United Church and while living in Montreal was an Explorer leader at Roxboro United. She served as Sunday School Superintendant at Mountainview United in St. Catherines. Upon her return to St. Paul’s in Thunder bay she chaired the Worship and Communications committees, became Chairman of the Board of Managers and President of the United Church Women. She wrote a newsletter, St. Paul’s Focus, for the church for several years. She played in St. Paul’s Handbell Choir and upon the death of her father joined her family in giving and octave of bells to the church in his memory.

Mother was a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Educational and Intergenerational Committee of the Council of Positive Aging. As a member of COPA she implemented the intergenerational program, Seniors in Schools, in city schools. She served on the Board of Directors of St. Paul’s Place Non-Profit Housing, as President of the Canadian Federation of University Women and on the executive of the Retired Teachers of Ontario. In 2008 on the sixtieth anniversary of the burning of the Noronic she wrote an article about her summer as a waitress aboard the ship at that time which was published by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum.

Mother is survived by her five children, John (Aurora), James (Adolphstown), Tim (Wasilla, AK), Anne Lorimer (Thunder Bay) and Susan Van Natto (Oakville) and six grandchildren, Jennifer Lorimer, Zoe and Alyson Van Natto, Nathan, Ben and Laurelle Lorimer. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Lois Arbuckle and nieces, Catherine Arbuckle and Susan Hall. She was predeceased by her granddaughter Araina Lorimer and her brother Walter Arbuckle.

Cremation has taken place and a graveside service at Riverside Cemetery will be held at a later date. Should friends desire and in lieu of flowers memorial donations to the T.B.R.H.S.C- Lorimer Family Cardiovascular Endowment Fund would be appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Sargent & Son Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 21 N. Court Street. On-line condolences may be made at www.sargentandson.com.

We would like to thank the Nurses and Staff of 3B T.B.R.H.S.C. and Glacier Ridge for the caring and compassionate care of our mother.