Margaret (Peg) Cottrell Storey (nee McBeath), of Shediac, New Brunswick passed away peacefully at home on December 2nd, 2016. Margaret was predeceased by her loving husband, Donald W. Storey and cherished grandchildren, Jared and Jane and great-grandson Michael. She will be sadly missed by her six children; Thomas (Sally), John (Elisabeth), Susan, Jamie (Catherine), Brian and Peter, twenty-six grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Born in Moncton, Peg was the youngest daughter of the late Thomas and Grace (Brien) McBeath. She was a member of the first graduating class of Moncton High School, earned her B.A. from Mount Allison University and received her professional designation in Dietetics from Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. She taught Home Economics in Moncton schools until her marriage. During WWII, Peg and Don were posted to St. Johns, Nfld and Halifax, NS where Don served as a Captain on convoy duty in the North Atlantic. Peg was a proud Canadian who exhibited the gutsy stoicism of her generation together with an unyielding optimism about the future. She was an active member of various organizations including the Wesley Memorial United Church, Trinity United Church in Shediac, and Shediac Bay Yacht Club. For several years, Peg served as President and on the Board of Directors of the Moncton YWCA.
Peg was a devoted wife and mother and was the centre of the family. Her contribution as a homemaker, organizer, and booster allowed her husband and children to advance and flourish. Her six children were a source of pride and comfort. She especially appreciated visits from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was interested in their lives and encouraged their endeavours. She and Don welcomed family and friends at any time. For many years, and well into retirement, her Sunday roast was an unmissable event and summer BBQ’s and dinners on the veranda accommodated all comers. She loved the large gatherings that allowed so many friends, relations and generations to reconnect.
Peg had style and spark and personality. She was an interested and engaged person and enjoyed many pursuits. She was a reader, gardener, traveller, bridge player, knitter, seamstress, wonderful cook, a proponent of an active and healthy lifestyle, a donor to many charitable causes, and a patron of the arts. She embraced her Scottish heritage and her family roots in Victoria-by the Sea, Prince Edward Island. She was a loyal MTA alumnus and she and Don spent many windswept Saturday afternoons with thermos and blanket cheering on a MTA team, mostly football, whether or not a family member was playing. She enjoyed pleasure sailing with Don and family on "West in the Morning" and spent many hours supporting family crew in countless sailing regattas and sharing in the excitement. Peg was young at heart. She had a convivial and outgoing spirit and loved to attend church, yacht club and community events accepting all invitations to be out and about right up until her health failed, just a few weeks ago.
Peg was strong and resilient through difficult times. Ever pragmatic and reassuring, she found something positive in every struggle and bore her own share of life’s vicissitudes with equanimity. Those of us who shared her life appreciate that her legacy lies in the threads of love and generosity seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of our lives and families. She lived with enthusiasm, aged with grace and died on her own terms, with dignity. We are grateful for her example.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Frenette Funeral Home, 396 Main Street Shediac, NB. A Memorial Service celebrating Peg’s life will be held at Trinity United Church, Main Street, Shediac, NB on December 22nd, 2016 at 3:00 pm, Rev. Roland Hutchinson officiating, with reception to follow in the church hall.
\Donations to charities of the donor’s choice or the Storey Youth Sailing Foundation (430 Main Street, Shediac, N.B. E4P 2G5) are much appreciated. Condolences may be shared and donations offered at www.frennettefuneralhome.com.
The family thanks Kim Gass for her thoughtful and compassionate care, and the many caregivers who assisted as well as the Extra-Mural Team of Vitalite Health Network.