Obituary of MARGARET OLIVE LEVANDOSKI

It is with great sadness and much love that we said goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Margaret Olive Levandoski on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at the age of 99. With her family by her side, she passed away peacefully and with dignity, in the home she enjoyed for 60 years.

She will be deeply missed by her children: Barry (Jackie), Doug, Karen (Jeff), Mel (Kristie), nephew Raymond, along with her 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, with an 11^th little one on the way.

Margaret was born in Stoney Mountain on December 2, 1924, six years after the 1^st World War and five years before the Great Depression. Her hard working, save every penny, never give up attitude, was notably imprinted on her after her father suddenly passed away in 1932, when she was 8 years old. As the oldest of 6 children, she quit school at age 15 to help raise her siblings, eventually moving the family to Winnipeg so her mother could find work. If you asked Margaret what her life was like as a child, she would often say, “life was tough and times were simple”. Her responsibilities were vast during this time, forging a very special bond between her and her own mother. She was a wonderful daughter who did her best to make things easy for her mom. Only 15 years apart, they were like sisters to one another, devoted through thick and thin and inseparable for most of their lives.

Margaret met Kazmar in 1950 at the Belgium Club, a local dance hall. They married on June 14, 1952 when she was 28 years old and remained together for 46 years. She worked at the Bemis Bag Company until they had their first of 4 children. From this point on, Margaret did what she knew best from the age of 15, she took care of others and managed the home.

With her own family of 6, there wasn’t much money for non-essentials so Margaret and Kaz used the resources they had to support the family, renting out the 2^nd floor of their house and progressing to renting out their 3 parking spots to neighbors, since they didn’t have a car of their own. Margaret started a home babysitting business caring for a few neighborhood children and later helped care for her grandchildren, whom she adored. In the 70’s she sold Avon for over a decade, eventually bringing Kaz in as the delivery man. He often joked that she bought more Avon than she sold.

Margaret was a Protestant and Kazmar a Catholic, with Margaret taking an integral role in raising her children as Catholics. At the age of 77, she decided to convert to Catholicism after Kaz passed away. Receiving the Sacraments of Initiation was a proud moment for her and her family as they understood the importance of this faith journey.

Margaret was a beautiful soul who put her family before her own needs. She truly appreciated the simple things in life: spending time with her family, sharing a good laugh, a Keg dinner with her son, a bouquet of flowers, a sparkly blouse, a good face cream, sipping a glass of wine and eating anything chocolate! For years Margaret took great pride in bragging about the walls she cleaned, the floors she scrubbed and the Dyson vacuum she was gifted. She loved the TV show The Jeffersons, Oprah and had a lot to say about the antics of the last US president.

She was a night owl well into her 80’s, preparing Christmas dinners till the early hours of the morning to make the best cabbage rolls of anyone we knew. If you needed to get a hold of her after midnight, everyone knew she would be up to answer the call on the first ring.

Margaret’s shy demeanor was combined with a strong competitive spirit, taking an interest in the sport of baton twirling. She loved to travel with her daughter to competitions in the US and Canada, to places she otherwise wouldn’t have had an opportunity to go. She was an icon, known for her kind spirit, her presence at every competition and her volunteerism, working long hours at Orioles CC canteen to raise funds for athletes. She was overjoyed to win a trophy for the highest Grey Cup ticket seller 5 years in row, still holding that title today! Her love for twirling continued in her later years, attending every one of her granddaughters' recitals until the age of 96, when they decided to quit, not her!

Margaret loved the Blue Bombers and watching CFL games, a passion she shared with her sons. On game day, she could be found wearing Bomber slippers, waving a set of pom poms, huddled under her Bomber blanket, cheering her team to a win.

She considered bingo to be her favorite sport, playing a multitude of cards (to increase her chances of winning) strategically moving her dabber with precision and lightning speed. Bingo night included friends up the street, her nephew Ray or her brother Joe and if a bingo hall wasn’t open, she would often play Kinsmen Bingo with her grandkids on Saturday nights.

She remained energetic well into her 90’s tending to her garden and enthusiastically experimenting with new vegetation, challenging everyone to find her the largest tomato so she could plant the seeds next season. What she didn’t give away to family and friends she often put in the freezer to eat throughout the winter until she did it all over again in the spring. She canned her own beets, pickles, jam and applesauce. She loved perennials, planting several varieties, giving them away to family to enjoy in their own gardens.

She was proud of her family and was always thrilled to hear about an engagement, a pregnancy, or a graduation. She wanted to know all the details and could hardly wait to meet the new great grandbabies. There was always a running joke in our family about which child she loved more, which in-law was her favourite, which grandchild was the best. We all aspired to hold the bragging rights of these cherished titles.

The resilience Margaret developed in childhood, prepared her for life. Over the last 3 decades, she overcame breast cancer twice, a heart attack, 2 pacemaker implants, glaucoma, a broken hip and a few strokes. Her positive attitude, hopefulness and wherewithal to leap back in and get back up was so impressive to those who met her. She was genuinely made of titanium and true grit!

Today we are sad knowing that there will be no new memories made with her, but we are so thankful to have had her with us for this long. Margaret’s personal attributes (shyness, positivity, stubbornness, strength and a night owl schedule) along with her physical attributes (hazel eyes, petite stature, left handedness and high forehead) will be passed on for generations to come. Her grade 10 education was never apparent to any one, as you were able to learn more from her about life than any classroom could have taught you. Margaret left us with a rich legacy of fond memories and now she will live on in the stories we tell, the laughs we remember, and the memories we have made. She will be so dearly missed by all who knew her.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband Kazmar (1998), her mother Mary (1987) and 5 siblings (Eddie, Joseph, Donald, Marion and Melvin).

With overwhelming gratitude and utmost appreciation, we would like to thank Barry and Jackie for their love, devotion, dedication and the sacrifices they made to fulfill mom’s wishes to remain at home until the end.                                                                                                                                                                                       

To Doug, Karen, Mel, Jeff and Kristie, we thank you for your unwavering love, commitment, and ability to navigate through obstacles that came mom’s way.                                                                                                             

Thank you, Samantha, for helping your mom, Karen, with your grandma’s nursing care, strength training and coaching to facilitate her ability to walk again at 98, to regain the power in her arms to enjoy her cup of afternoon tea, and to help her get outside to smell her flowers and feel the warmth of the sun.

To all the support staff (home care and palliative care), we thank you for making the family’s job easier. Your compassion towards Margaret did not go unnoticed, you brought a smile to her face everyday.

And most importantly, we would like to thank all the grandchildren and great grandchildren who shared their love, their time, a story, a celebration and a laugh with your grandma. She treasured every moment with each of you!                                                                      

In lieu of flowers, donations in mom’s memory can be made to a foundation of your choice.                            

A private family service is being arranged.