Obituary of Margaret R. Creighton

The death of Margaret R. Creighton occurred, on Friday, September 26th, 2003, at the Saint John Regional Hospital. Margaret lived a long and quite remarkable life. She grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the only child of Matthew and Faye (Rutherford) Burris. One of her earliest memories was being sent to the country, while her father treated many of those injured in the Halifax explosion. Margaret attended Halifax Ladies College and later Dalhousie University, where she was one of the early women graduates. Trained as a teacher, she worked in Toronto and Vancouver before returning to Dartmouth to care for her ill mother. She married Ralph Creighton, from Wolfville, in 1949, and together they embarked on a lifetime of moves as Ralph progressed with the Royal Bank of Canada. Their children, Ralph and Anne, were born shortly before Margaret and Ralph moved to the Caribbean, where Ralph served first as Assistant Manager of the Royal Bank in Nassau and later as Manager in Barbados. In 1961 Ralph was appointed Manager of the Royal Bank in Saint John and the family settled in Rothesay, where Margaret assumed a life of community service. She was active in Saint Paul's Anglican Church, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Heart and Stroke and Kidney Foundations. For many years she was a keen member of the Kennebecasis Garden Club. Like many people who lived through the Second World War, Margaret developed great pride in Canada as a nation, and had little respect for the idea of separatism. She maintained an active interest in politics throughout her life, and consistently based her views on a comprehensive knowledge of Canadian history. Margaret was delighted with the birth of her granddaughter, Sara Jane Margaret, and throughout her life she maintained an encyclopedic knowledge of the families of both friends and her many relatives throughout the Maritimes, and beyond. She was not known to complain. Rather than worrying about her impending mortality, she was more concerned about the welfare of others. In recent years she repeatedly comforted her granddaughter by saying “I'm not ready to die yet ? I have to find out what's going to happen tomorrow”. She will be deeply missed by her son Ralph, daughter Anne and her husband David Rawlence, granddaughter Sara and David's children David, Michael and Madeleine. Margaret was predeceased by her husband Ralph in 1977. Our heartfelt thanks go to her caregivers Florence Hatfield, Diane Doiron, Luanne Lanigan, Diane Hayman, Penny Atkinson and others who gave her such wonderful support and friendship. Resting at Brenan's Select Community Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, NB (506) 634-7424, with visitation on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. The service will be held, Wednesday, October 1st, 2003, at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Rothesay, at 11:00 a.m., with the Venerable Richard McConnell officiating. A service of thanksgiving for Margaret will take place at St. John's Anglican Church, Wolfville, NS, Thursday, October 2nd at 3:00 p.m. followed by interment. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or to the charity of the donor's choice.