Margaret (Peggy) Baker (née Jones)
1932-2021
“I love you. A bushel and a peck. A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.”
On November 12th, we said “Goodbye” to our mom and grandma. At the age of 89, surrounded by family, she made her departure peacefully and quietly.
In Peggy, there was a passion for learning, healing, growth, the arts, and, most of all, family. To her, this world was an opportunity and in everything and everyone, there was potential. As a mother, she was strength: as firm as she needed to be and funnier than most moms dared to be. As a grandmother, she was warmth: sharing wisdom and creativity whenever possible and feeding far more than was necessary. To her siblings, she was a caring and involved big sister. As a friend, she was constant. No one was as eager to help. In her community, she was determined. To Athabasca, her contributions of time and enthusiasm will not be soon forgotten.
She was born in the summer of 1932 in a little town in Saskatchewan, which, (if you believe her) was named ‘Lucky Lake’ in honor of her birth. She grew up in the town of Trail, BC. Peggy graduated from the Vancouver General Hospital nursing program in 1954 and began her long career of making waves. Outside of her regular work hours, she found purpose in patching up the local kids and caring for anyone in poor health: a nurse as much in spirit as profession.
Ahead of her time, she was an outspoken supporter of human rights and women’s equality. Throughout her life, she was an advocate of education in science and the arts, volunteering in these programs as much as possible. Whenever there was something to be done, she leaned in. Countless young people’s worlds were made bigger through Peggy’s encouragement: “Everyone needs to experience the symphony at least once.”
Peggy took great pleasure in being a mother and grandmother with her baking, handmade clothing and toys, gardening, and sweet lullabies, but she was also the most incredibly cool Grandma. Jet setting solo well into her 80’s, Peggy’s love of travel gave her amazing depth and an intense appreciation of culture. Peggy’s legacy will be the people she has inspired to simply leave this world a more interesting and beautiful place than they found it. To her, we say, “Thank you -for the love, the generosity, and the memories.”
She is survived by her brother, Harvey Jones, and her children and grandchildren; Pat Baker (Sandrine), Lucas and Leo; Dorothy Baker (Rick), Bentley; Willa Wanke (Jim), Erin (Ben) Archer,Flynn; Jan Krawiec (Tom) Alex, Sarah (Pearson); and Barb Dalen (Dennis) Owen, Perri
