Marguerite Ann (Johnston) KEMPIN

Marguerite Ann Kempin (nee:Johnston) March 15, 1942 – December 28, 2017 (age 75)

Marguerite, a long time resident of Merritt, ended her journey on this beautiful planet on December 28, 2017 in Nanaimo. She checked into palliative just seven days earlier after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She never complained and always said she was “100%”. An inspiration to us all! Left behind to enjoy planet Earth are her loving adult children Erin Tent, John “Butch” Tent (Kim), Thomas Angus, Tony Nali (Sherry), Patrick Tent (Barb) and Ashley Thomas (Glenn), grandchildren Daniel, Brady, Kaylee, Paige, Cody, Zena, TJ, Samantha, Travis, Emerson and Briar and 6 great grandchildren Austin, Avery, Zack, Kyley, Tyrone and Meka. Also survived by her ex-husband Martin, siblings Janne, John (Linda), Peter (Natalie) and George (Paulette). Predeceased by her husband’s Edward Tent and Gordon Sykes and her sister Wanda. Marguerite, daughter of a Canadian soldier, John “JJ” Johnston and Yorkshire lass, Ann “Bobbi” Albrecht, was born in West Molesey, England March 15, 1942. On demobilization in 1946, the family fi rst settled in Vancouver, moved to Princeton in 1948 then Merritt in 1952. Marguerite never left. Once she completed Grade 12, she trained as a beautician and opened her fi rst beauty shop in Merritt in 1960. Marguerite was married three times. In 1963 to Edward, that “certain gunner in the Canadian Army” mentioned in her high school year book; in 1977 to Gordon who let her ride a donkey to the depths of the Grand Canyon and in 1987 to Martin who trucked her south many times, motherin-law in tow. Marguerite, in the 1990’s, branched out from fostering, mothering and hairdressing to work at the Coquihalla Toll Booth, Merritt Aquatic Centre and for the City of Merritt as Bylaw Offi cer. She only retired at the age of 70 in 2012 on account of illness. Marguerite was very active in community affairs. She was a Merritt school trustee for 27 years and a lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96 serving on the Executive in many capacities often as president. Marguerite served a term as Zone Commander for the Nicola-Thompson Zone and she never missed a Gavel passing. Marguerite volunteered as a Director on the local BC Transit Service Board for 8 years. In 2010 she was a volunteer at the XXI Winter Olympics and for the 2006 BC Summer Games. Marguerite received many awards among them the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. Marguerite was an avid gardener and cook. She was renowned for her preserves, fl owers, baking and cake decorating. She also loved collecting - fi gurines, coins, plates- and liked nothing better than scouring yard sales for treasures. Her annual Christmas storefront display was a delight to all. She was talented at crafts, making hundreds of unique fund-raising prizes for all the Legion functions. Her graduation high school year book said her ambition was to travel to Europe. She did just that in 1962 and again in 2015 meeting all the relatives at a family reunion, travelling to the D-day beaches and climbing the towers of every cathedral visited. Besides Europe, she cruised to Alaska, motored to Regina and toured Tennessee. In her “IH8-SNO” Mazda, she zipped around visiting and delivering dogs, clocking up tens of thousands of kilometres every year. She embraced technology using hands-free Bluetooth to keep abreast of everything wherever she was. What a traveller and character she was! She loved Shih Tzu dogs and was a recognized Canadian breeder through her Symara kennel. During Marguerite’s last months, Cece, was her constant companion. Marguerite was like the “Energizer Bunny”, she had no interest in giving up, carrying on her life as much as she could for as long as she could despite cancer. She will be dearly missed by her family and many friends and foster children who still think of her as “mom”. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 20, 2018 in the Legion Hall, Merritt BC at 2 pm. In lieu of fl owers please donate in her memory to the Canadian Red Cross whom the family thank for so generously arranging health equipment during Marguerite’s last year. 

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