Obituary of Margaret Anne Kilpatrick
It is with great sadness that the family of Margaret Anne (Earle) Kilpatrick announce her passing, after 102 years, on March 20, 2022, at her home in Titusville, New Brunswick.
Margaret was born in Saint John, New Brunswick to the late William and Catherine (McCrea) Earle on July 6th, 1919. She graduated from Saint John High School in 1937. She went on to get her First-Class Teaching License from Provincial Normal School in Fredericton and then worked as a teacher at Primrose, Warneford, Barnesville, Titusville, Woodlawn, Winter Street, and Princess Elizabeth Schools. Margaret especially enjoyed teaching grade 2.
When Margaret was younger, she liked roller skating and one day broke her nose on the Samuel de Champlain statue in Queen Square. Catherine (her sister) took her home where her mother, a nurse, straightened her nose, and that was that. She was part of the gun club in high school and also loved swimming, and skating, at Drury Cove and Lily Lake.
She met her husband Stanley on a blind date while she was teaching at her 1st school in Primrose. They were married in 1940 at her family home on St. James Street in Saint John, by Arch Deacon H.A. Cody. She never forgot that her mother burnt a pan of cookies on the day of her wedding.
Margaret loved her family deeply, and one of her hopes throughout her life was, “To learn to love more and understand others better”. She was strong in her faith, loved children, and always enjoyed her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
As Margaret got older, she liked knitting, sewing, rug-hooking, and reading. She enjoyed family trips, as well as apple and strawberry picking. She would work with her family building her home, wall papering, painting, chipping mortar off old bricks, and gathering river rocks to build the front of her home as well as her grandson’s home. She recycled before recycling was popular.
Margaret took some unforgettable vacations with her family over her lifetime. She spent some winters in Florida, went to BC by train to visit relatives, and to Newfoundland to visit her niece. She also went on a bus tour to California and Pennsylvania with Anne, many shopping trips to Bangor, and loved the overnight trips she and grampy took with her grandchildren. On one of those Bangor shopping trips she purchased a package of 18 pairs of white tube socks and paired them in her suitcase so she would not have to claim them at the border. In her 80’s she even took her 1st trip up a ski hill gondola, in the summer months, on a trip with Loral to Nova Scotia.
In her later years, as Margaret lost her sight to Macular Degeneration, she would listen to CBC and CNN, and talk with others about local & world affairs, which she enjoyed immensely. She loved bible studies in her home, ice cream, chocolate, and Chinese Food. She enjoyed annual lobster boils with the family, and each year said, “that was the best lobster I ever had”.
Margaret loved going to the McCrea reunion in Shannon each July. She celebrated her 100th birthday at the reunion in 2019 and during her speech said, “thank you all and see you next year”! Each year she would remind her family how important it was to attend saying, “this is how you get to know your relatives”
Margaret is survived by her daughter, C. Anne McEwen-Johnson (Bliss) of Titusville; daughter-in-law Janet Kilpatrick of Titusville; five grandchildren: Loral McEwen-Wills (Stephen) of Titusville, John McEwen (Nancy) of Barnesville, Joel Kilpatrick (Janet) of Saint John, Jane Bartmanovich (Doug) of Manitoba, Jonathan Kilpatrick (Andrea) of Titusville; eight great-grandchildren: Nathan McEwen, Amanda McEwen, Wyatt Kilpatrick, John Kilpatrick, Tyler Bartmanovich, Thomas Bartmanovich, Julia Kilpatrick, and Anna Kilpatrick; and two great-great-grandchildren: Lilly McEwen and Sydney McEwen. Margaret is also survived by sisters-in-law: Pauline Kincade and Barbara Fowler; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, Margaret is predeceased by her husband, Stanley Kilpatrick; son, John Kilpatrick; sister, Catherine Mercer; and son-in-law, Lloyd McEwen.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the Extra-Mural Nurses and to Sandra Carson for her years of support and care.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Reid’s Funeral Home (506-832-5541), 1063 Main Street, Hampton, NB. A private graveside service will take place at Titus Hill Cemetery, Titusville.
Donations in memory of Margaret may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. Personal condolences to the family, and donations to charity, may be made through ReidsFH.com
