Margaret Louise (Cullens) Morton
Lieu de naissance : Birch Point South Cove, Nouvelle Ecosse, Canada
Date de naissance : 3 mars 1932
Lieu de décès : Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date de décès : 1er mai 2010
Margaret Louise (née Cullens) Morton died peacefully in the presence of her immediate family at her Ottawa home on the first of May 2010 after a short illness.
Peggy, as she was known to family and friends, was born in the early hours of March 3, 1932 at the Cullens' family farm at Birch Point, South Cove on the shores of Cape Breton's Bras d'Or Lake to John Wimberly Cullens and Catherine Mae Cullens (née McInnis).
Her birth was attended by the near legendary Dr. C. Lamont MacMillen. In his book Memoirs of a Cape Breton Doctor (McGraw Hill Ryerson Limited, 1975) he described crossing the treacherous ice from Baddeck to deliver her, ending the story with "That was the night Peggy Cullens was born".
Peggy was schooled at home until she went to Saint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The following quotation from her 1951 graduating year book set the stage for her life:
"... a popular girl. At "X" for 4 years her unsurpassable wit and ability to be ever cheerful have made her well worth knowing. Peg is a Cape Bretoner who came in the fall of '47 to become a scientist. Behind her she had a high school diploma from correspondence course at N.S. Technical College as well as a prize for the highest provincial examinations for Victoria County, C.B. Away from test tubes she established her fame! Her lapel carries a Literary X for being M.S.B. editor then associate editor of the Xaverian Weekly. Her only vices were being vice-president of M.S.B. Debating Society and vice-president of senior class of which she was also secretary-treasurer. Far from being tongue-tied, so they tell us, Peggy played a minor part in dramatic productions. This not being satisfactory, she took over the stage and became owner of a Debating "B" ...it is certain that wherever she may be she will be like a "ray of sunshine on a cloudy day."
After graduating Peggy joined the fish inspection laboratories in Halifax during which time she met, then married Lt. John Patrick Morton, RCN on September 11, 1954 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After bearing a son, John, her husband's career took them to London England, then Portsmouth and then to Weymouth, England where her daughter, Ann, was born. In 1959 they returned to North America and the family spent several years alternating between Ottawa, Dartmouth and Norfolk Virginia.
Upon settling in Ottawa in 1969 Peggy obtained her Masters Degree in Library Science from the University of Ottawa. She was then employed in various federal government departments culminating as the Canadian Department of Agriculture's Director of Libraries responsible for about 16 scientific libraries across Canada.
After retirement she become a 'full time granny' to Diane, Pat and Erika and spent much of her summers gardening at the family cottage. Peggy also got tremendous pleasure through her travels to unique parts of the world.
Peggy is survived by her husband, John Patrick Morton, her two children, John Aitken Morton (also delivered at Baddeck by Dr. MacMillan) and Margaret Ann Randall; by Ann's children Diane, Patrick, and Erika; and also by her brothers John Cullens, Neil Cullens and their families.
Acceding to her often stated wishes there will be no ceremony and her ashes will ultimately be buried with her husband's in the Morton family plot, Union Cemetery, Barrie, Ont.
Memorial donations may made to a cancer care organization of your choice.
