Obituary of Marie Albertine McKinnon

MCKINNON, Marie (nee Mainprize)

FEBRUARY 7, 1926-MAY 30, 2019

Our Mom, Marie Albertine McKinnon, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2019, at the age of 93 years, at Riverbend Crossing Memory Care Home in Regina. We wish to thank the staff at Riverbend for the tender and compassionate care they gave our Mom over the past two years.

Marie is survived by her children, Graham (and Elise), Bruce, Mary (and Randy), Karen (and David), Paul, and Peter (and Carolyn); fourteen grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Hugh McKinnon; her brother Graham Mainprize and his wife Ruby; and her daughter-in-law, Lyn.

Marie was born in 1926, and was raised with her older brother, Graham, in Midale, Saskatchewan. She was the only daughter of Dr. William Mainprize (the Doc), and Helen Mainprize. After completing high school, Marie moved to Fredericton to study to become a Lab Technician at the University of New Brunswick. While there she met her future husband, Hugh McKinnon, of Cupar, Saskatchewan. Marie enjoyed her work as a Lab Technician, before getting married to Hugh in 1952. Marie and Hugh settled in Cupar where they began to raise their six children. A short while later, they moved to Regina and made their permanent home in Douglas Park.  Marie continued to work off and on, for a time teaching at Harrow de Groot School.  At the age of 50, Marie took the brave step of returning to school to train in nursing.  She spent eight years working at Wascana Hospital, where she truly found joy in this late-in-life challenge.

We can only imagine that being a Mom of six held its own challenges. But Mom seemed to take it all in stride. She seemed always to be in a good mood, to boot - humming tunes while hauling the lot of us to the library or to swimming lessons, or while making endless dinners for eight. She had a reserve of patience that was tailor-made for kids, and ultimately, for grandkids, too. This became most apparent when our own kids would ask Grandma to “come play”. She sat with them at the table playing card game after card game, and sat with them on the floor playing Lego, dinosaurs, and barbies. Grandkids and Grandma took great pleasure in those play dates. 

Like all smart Mom’s, our Mom knew the importance of taking time for herself. In her lifetime, Mom enjoyed many pursuits. At home, she liked to knit and sew.  At the lake, she enjoyed sailing and gardening. And over a lifetime, she enjoyed good books, live theatre, and art - even becoming a water-colour artist herself, in her retirement.  She and Dad travelled extensively, and for a time, wintered in Arizona. She continued her travelling adventures with her sister-in-law Rebecca, journeying to India and on another trip sailing from London to New York on the last Atlantic crossing of the QE2!

Although Mom was quiet and unassuming, she would often make us smile with her dry wit, and self-deprecating humour. She had so many wonderful qualities, but two stand out.  She was the best of listeners, and in her own thoughtful way, made each one of us feel special. And she was the bravest of braves, which came to light during these past two years while living with a total loss of mobility. We marvel at the woman she was, the Mom she was, and the Grandma she was. She will be missed.

At Marie’s request, there will be no funeral service. A private interment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marie’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com