Obituary of Margaret Wesley

Margaret Wesley (nee Foley)

In her 88th year, Margaret passed away peacefully on November 28th at Lakeridge Health, Oshawa.

Predeceased by her loving husband of 48 years, Ken Wesley (2015).  Mom to Nancy and Barbara (Matt Storey), and proud Grandma to Phaelan & Seamus George, and Liam & Oliver Storey.  In her final months, she would often reflect on her “good life” with “good friends” and “good neighbours.”

Margaret grew up in Toronto at Main & Danforth with her siblings Dennis, Marie and Bernard (Bud).  She fondly reminisced about St. Brigid’s, telling funny stories of the nuns and the baseball league.  She would spend her childhood vacationing with her maternal grandparents in Huntsville, and visiting her paternal grandparents, aunts & uncles, and many cousins in Peterborough.  The Foley family reunions in Peterborough were a favourite highlight for her. She graduated from Notre Dame high school in 1954 and attended many reunions and celebrations over the years for their Sisters and Priests.

After high school Margaret began working for Prudential Insurance, with her sister-in-law and best friend Barbara Foley.  She travelled by steamer to England in 1962 where she and Barbara would spend the next few years working and travelling around Europe.  While overseas Margaret wrote and received (and kept) boxes of letters to her mother, sister, brothers, aunts and grandfather.  Every detail of their adventures was documented and shared with family back in Canada.  Returning to Canada in 1964 Margaret continued to work at Prudential.

After a neighbour introduced them after they had both recently lost their mothers, Margaret married Ken in 1967 and honeymooned to Florida, a frequent and favourite spot for family vacations for years.  They settled in Claremont, but in 1973 were expropriated from their small farm for the construction of the never built Pickering Airport.  They relocated to West Hill in Scarborough, where they would stay for the next 30 years, where they both spent their free moments in the backyard creating extensive flower and vegetable gardens.   They took up ballroom dancing together and were quite the couple on the dancefloor. Weekends and summers were spent at the cottage on Morrison Lake, where Margaret tended to ever-expanding flower gardens carved out of the rocks on Wesley Island.

Margaret stayed home to raise her family but was very active in the community being a member of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) at St. Joseph’s parish in Highland Creek,  a Girl Guide leader, and a long-time volunteer canvasser for Heart & Stroke Foundation.     When she returned to work, she was a secretary for Phillips Electronics, working there for over 15 years.  After taking retirement, she would eventually go back to work for a small insurance firm, returning to where her career started 40 years earlier.

Retiring (for real) to Whitby, Margaret joined St. Leo the Great’s Parish in Brooklin and once again became an active member of the CWL.  These ladies would play a special role in Margaret’s life for the next 20+ years, and most especially be of incredible support to Margaret in her later years, throughout Ken’s passing and subsequent health challenges. 

Margaret adored her four grandsons, and would talk anyone’s ear off about them and their activities.  To Margaret there were 2 pillars in life, her family & her faith.  She loved both dearly, and both provided her incredible support and comfort in her final days.

Nancy and Barbara would like to thank all those “good friends” and “good neighbours” most especially the ladies of the CWL, and those who have been integral in Margaret’s life in recent months & years.  A special thank you to Jeananne, Diana and Venise. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Angel Project, helping provide Christmas to families in need through the St. Vincent de Paul group at St. Leo the Great Parish, or to Lakeridge Health Oshawa. Donations can be brought to the church or can be made online at In Memory of Margaret Wesley

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, Brooklin on Wednesday, December 4th at 1:00 pm. A private interment will follow. Everyone is welcome to attend the Funeral and/or Reception. A Reception will take place at St. Leo the Great Church (please note the Hall is located at the back of the church) at 2:30 pm.