Obituary of Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Claire (Fisher) Hamilton, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, activist, politician, educator, orchardist, friend, dog-lover and so much more, died peacefully at home in Douglas, NB, on January 23, 2019 with her dog at her side. She was in her 97th year. Margaret is survived by her husband of nearly 70 years, Angus Hamilton, three of her children: Anne Hamilton of Ottawa, Elizabeth Hamilton (Burt Glendenning) of Fredericton and Stuart Hamilton (Pam Glassby) of Vancouver; her five grandchildren: Stuart MacGillivray (Joanne Webster) of Fredericton, Duncan MacGillivray (Dana Horrocks) of Fredericton, Ian Hamilton (Bernadette Tran) of Glen Innis, NSW, Australia , Nathan MacGillivray (Stephanie Millett) of Fredericton and Claire Hamilton of Vancouver; and her great-grandson, Alex MacGillivray. Margaret’s youngest two children predeceased her. Daughter Nancy (Ernest MacGillivray) died in 1999 and son Jamie in 1993. Margaret was born on June 20, 1922, in London, Ontario to Dr. Stuart McVicar Fisher and Nellie Claire (McCurdy) Fisher. Her older brother, Charlie (Dr. Charles Frederick Stuart Fisher) of London predeceased her. Margaret started a bachelor’s degree at the University of Western Ontario but suspended her studies in 1943 to join the WRCNS (the “Wrens”). She served as a Navy cook in Halifax. In 2013, Margaret published It's a Galley Not a Kitchen, You Landlubber!! - a memoir of her wartime experience in the Wrens. It's available on Amazon. After the war, she resumed her studies at Western and received a degree in Home Economics. While at Western she attended an away football game in Toronto with a friend. At a post-game party organized by her friend, she met the love of her life, Angus Hamilton, and thus started “a rich and rewarding adventure”. Margaret and Angus were married in 1949, lived in Toronto for two years, then in Ottawa for 20 years. In Ottawa Margaret was an elected member of the Ottawa School Board for eight years and chaired major committees such as the Property Committee and the Centennial Committee that welcomed school children from all provinces and territories to Parliament Hill on July 1, 1967. After they moved to Fredericton in 1971, they bought a farm in Douglas with a six-acre apple orchard which they named "Happy Apple Acres". Margaret was a successful orchardist and Margaret's U-Pick became popular, especially for the tours she organized for school children. In her capacity as orchardist, Margaret was President of the N.B. Fruit Growers Association and treasurer of the N.B. Farm Markets Association. In 1981, Margaret opened a Bed and Breakfast which became known for the fabulous breakfasts and the warm hospitality. She was an active member of St. John the Evangelist Church where she was a lay reader for many years. Margaret was a founding member and the first treasurer of the Wostawea Cross Country Ski Club and she was a founding member of the Fredericton Direct Charge Co-operative. She was also an active member of the Canadian Home Economics Association, the Canadian Federation of University Women, and the Faculty Women’s Club at the University of New Brunswick. She was a generous patron of the arts and supported, Friends of the CBC, TNB, and Friends of the Playhouse, and she was a Life Member of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Margaret will be remembered for her warm smile, her generous spirit, her sharp intelligence, her sympathetic ear, her wise counsel, and her excellent cooking. She touched many lives and will be sorely missed by all who knew her. The Family wish to express their thanks to Dr. Gordon McDonald and Theresa, to the Extra-Mural Program, to Elizabeth McCorquindale and Tammy Gratton, and to the many friends who made her life so rich in the last few years. There will be a Memorial Service on Monday January 28, 2019 at 2 pm at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 75 Main St., Fredericton, NB followed by a reception at the church. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com