Helen Marjorie ‘Marj’ Moncrieff

October 3, 1945 ~ May 31, 2021

Helen Marjorie “Marj” Moncrieff, beloved wife of David, passed away at the Bow Island Health Centre on Monday, May 31, 2021, at the age of 75 years. Along with David, Marj is survived by her daughter, Dr. Kathleen; son James; daughter-in-law, Kelly; grandchildren, Ben and Tom; sister, Pat (Lazlo) as well as her brother, Murray (Mary) and their children Emily, Ro, Scott and Andy. Marj was predeceased by her parents, Sid and Helen Dineen as well as her brother, Bill Dineen. Marjorie was born in Edmonton, Alberta. A city girl, she learned to love the wide open prairies and the beautiful, friendly town of Bow Island, where she lived for 30 years. She had many friends and strong community affiliations. Marj retired from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, where she was an instructor in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She was a microbiologist, educated at the University of Alberta and Brigham Young University. Earlier in her career she worked as a lab tech in the Alberta Provincial Lab in Edmonton, where her favourite part of her job was mycology. She was a passionate educator and proud that her pancreatic cancer had been diagnosed by one of her daughter’s family medicine residents on his rural rotation and she was so happy each time a nursing student, medical student, or resident, took care of her during her illness. It made her feel good to know that she was teaching the next generation of healthcare workers, even as a patient. Marj took up “politics” in Bow Island, serving as a Town Councilor, Prairie Rose School Board member, Bow Island Library Board member and chair, member of the Alberta School Boards Association, Shortgrass Library Board member and many other volunteer activities. Marj was very bright, creative and artistic. She was spiritual and determined in fighting for causes she believed in. She became more involved in creative and artistic endeavors when time allowed and her children were older. She was an accomplished water colourist, wood worker, knitter, photographer, played the organ in church and was a great cook. Marj won a trip to Spokane to demonstrate her delicious zucchini cake on the KSPS PBS station. Her zest for life matched her love for people, puppies and guinea pigs. Nothing pleased Marj more than time (or video chatting) with her grandchildren. She was a force on this earth and her kindness and spirit of generosity had no bounds. Marj was a traveler in her early years spending many summers in England, Scotland, and Ireland. She even took a few wrong turns on a road trip in Northern Ireland during the “troubles,” ending up with an armed escort back across the border! Marj was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She joined the church as a teenager after hearing a church radio broadcast that talked about a Mother and Father in Heaven and families being together forever and wanting to find out more because this made sense and felt true to her. She was a hopeful and faithful person. A special thank you to the staff of the Bow Island Health Centre for their tender loving care who took care of her physically and emotionally during the last month as her illness progressed to a level where the only treatment left to pursue, was love and comfort. Thank you for your nursing care, for putting her lotion and chapstick on her, for holding her hand, for sitting with her and for reassuring her that she didn’t need to worry about how to get to Heaven. Thank you to her friends who came to be with her and her family every day. There is no more chemotherapy or cancer or pain where she is now (and according to her, there would be no more Jello either!), and we know she is there reuniting with friends and family who have gone before her and preparing places for the rest of us that she had to leave behind. Til we meet again. Due to current health restrictions, the Funeral Celebration will be by invitation only. The Celebration of Marj’s life will be held at Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with Life Celebrant Gerry Getz officiating. Interment will follow in the peaceful surroundings of the Bow Island Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Marj’s name may be made directly to Pancreatic Cancer Canada, 316 – 4211 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M2P 2A9.  Honoured to serve the family is Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, Crematorium & Reception Facility, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 4V4. Telephone 403-527-6455 or toll free at 1-877-528-6455.

• Date : 2021-05-31
• Location : Bow Island, Alberta

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