Obituary for Margaret Ruth Beddis
Marg, age 63 passed away suddenly on September 4, 2022 after a brief illness.
She is survived by her loving husband Paul Dayfoot, children Ross and Alexis, mother Chris Beddis, sister Ann, many relatives, friends and co-workers. Predeceased by her father Robbie and brother Charlie.
A Celebration of Life was held on September 4, 2022 at 1 pm at Northwood United Church 8855 – 156 Street, Surrey, BC
The event is available on Youtube at the following link, entitled:
Marg Beddis // Northwood United // Sept. 24, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQwzI9mtgUA
in lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to Surrey Hospitals Foundation in her memory.
………………..
On behalf of the family, I would like to thank you all for being here to celebrate the life of Marg Beddis. The number of you who took the time to gather here today is a testament to how important Marg was in many of your lives.
My name is Penny Regier. I am most honoured to have been asked by Marg’s family to say The eulogy today.
I like to take this time to express my sincere condolences to the love of her life, Paul, her precious children Ross and Alexis, her sister Ann and her mother Chris.
I did warn them all that there would be a longer and a shorter version today in case I become verklempt. But don’t worry, the long one isn’t too much longer than the other.
I also said to Paul, that despite knowing Marg for just over 20 years, it really feels that I didn’t know her as well as I would have expected. So to aid in that fact, I enlisted many others to help me tell you Marg’s story.
But my story first:
Marg graduated as a dietician in 1989 and started working at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 1991. She became a union steward for the HAS Health Sciences Association soon after she started working.
Marg and I met at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2001. I had been invited to a union meeting at lunchtime by my supervisor. I don’t know how I was convinced to enter a small room in the bowels of the hospital, with only a small table and a few chairs. There were no windows, not even in the steel door. It was like an interrogation room, but there was no water to drink on the table.
Alone in the room I sat with my respiratory therapy supervisor and one other lone union steward for the Health Sciences Association at Surrey hospital …Marg. As any other union stewards would recognize, at this point this was the beginning of the end. From that day onward, Marg was my mentor for all things “union”.
There was no escaping union work once you started. Marg saw right away that I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her beguiling ways.
Marg introduced me to the Occupational Health and Safety committee and taught me the ropes. She taught me how to drag in the unwilling managers to participate in monthly safety inspections of all areas of the hospital.
For many years Marg and I were buddies at conventions, training courses, Run for the Cure, labour day picnics, countless local chapter meetings and yearly conventions. Did I mention yet that I never did take the public speaking course that was offered every year by the union?
Marg took the public speaking course one year, and she never stopped after that. She had participated with NDP campaigns for years. When HSA developed their constituency liaison program, I’m sure Marg was the first one to volunteer, dragging me in as well once she found out that my MLA, Rich Coleman was not yet covered. She met with her MLA regularly to speak to them about the concerns of her fellow union members and to promote public health care.
Marg sat on the HSA board of directors for 10 years, serving as Secretary-Treasurer for a term and as an LTD trustee. She was a champion of social justice and fought hard to achieve the BCFED’s mantra: “What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all.”
Paul asked if I would share some words from Marg’s friends from HSA, some of whom could not be with us today:
Cindy Steward- former HSA president sent these words:
“So many benefited from her knowledge, energy and resolve. She set a standard – and was an example – for the many that followed in her footsteps. “
Sheila Vataiki is a seasoned labour relations officer with HSA. Her words about Marg.
“Her passion was remarkable and she was an extremely strong and very good advocate. She was so smart and insightful she made it easy for me to do my job. As she moved on in her union roles and responsibilities, we continued to work together as her roles and mine changed. We had many laughs at meetings and union events, and accomplished some very good resolves for our members secondary to her excellent, detailed and determined work.”
Miriam Sobrino is Director of Communications and Member Development at HAS. Miriam and Marg first met when they were working on NDP campaigns at Chris and Robbie’s house 35 years ago. Miriam said that
“Marg was absolutely one of our hardest working and most committed activist members. We will really feel her loss here at HSA.”
Leila Lolua, a retired labour relations officer from HSA said :
What I really liked about being with Marg is that she said what she thought - unvarnished and blunt in her dry and at times sarcastic way if need be - and this really helped get to the real issue and work towards a resolution. She was a real ally trying to achieve equity in a female-dominated Union.
One year, about six years ago, My husband Ron and I were going to be alone on Christmas Day. Unbeknownst to Marg, I had recently read this book: “The Knack of selling Yourself”
I used my newly developed skills and conveniently convinced Marg to invite Ron and I for Christmas dinner. On Christmas Day, we were welcomed, and given the honour of meeting Marg’s family:
Marg’s mom, Chris (Loula to the kids), Ann (Marg’s sister), her children Ross and Alexis and of course, Paul, Marg’s best friend and husband.
Ron and I were not the only guests at Family dinners. Over the years we met several other guests who must have read the same book as I had. Marg always found someone who needed a family at Christmastime. Secretly now I think she just needed a gullible drunk to wear the turkey hat.
Thank you for letting us all be with your family at Christmas and many other family dinners. Thank you for sharing that extra special time with Marg. So precious was that time to all of us.
So Grandparents day was on September 11th this month. I was with Alexis when Chris, her grandmother, called to mention that special day. So I took that opportunity to make a date with Chris to talk about Marg. For those of you who might need to have a date with Chris anytime soon, she likes vanilla ice cream. Don’t forget.
My visit with Chris last week was a good chance to see her new home for the last year and a half. Chris raised her family in the house on 96th street in Surrey, the one where Paul and Marg resided. Chris and her husband, Robbie, had originally built the house in 1959 when the road was still gravel with farms surrounding their small rancher.
By the time The Beddis family became a family of five, Robbie, with friends and family, lifted the house and made a basement for the home to create more space.
The basement had become a great storage place for the fruits of Marg’s gardening skills. Marg had canned fruit and jams, which were often gifts that we all received at Christmas and birthdays. There are many photos on record of Marg in her garden, the majority of the backyard filled with raised beds of flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Under the leadership of Chris, as District commissioner, Marg was in brownies and Girl Guides. She received top honours in Girl Guides, earning the Canadian Chord Award for completing the Pathfinder program. I asked Chris specifically what Marg was like, and Chris assured me that Marg was always a good child, only good grades and good behaviour.
Ann, Marg’s sister, only provided me a brief short story that was contrary to Marg’s good girl persona. Just something about Marg and her brother, Charlie, seeing if they could make their red wagon jump the ditch with a small toddler inside the wagon.
Sorry Ann, but Marg once told me that you were the sort to be easily injured. I think Marg may have made it look like you fell out of that wagon on your own.
Ann helped me piece together some of Marg’s many passions.
As a child, Marg was diagnosed with asthma. The doctor recommended swimming to help her breathing. From that point on, water was Marg’s peaceful place.
Her love of swimming led her to enrol in courses with Royal Life Saving Society and the Canadian Red Cross. Marg’s first career was in Aquatics. Marg paid her way through college and University lifeguarding. She was a lifeguard at almost every indoor and outdoor pool in the City of Surrey.
Marg loved music. In high school she was in the choir at North Surrey Senior Secondary and went on a trip with the band to Europe in her graduating year. She later took up playing the steel drums with the band playing today Sweet Pan. They even put out their own CD – Birds of a feather.
Marg took up sewing in high school. She made everything from bathing suits to ski suits. Marg made her own wedding dress. It was pink Marg’s favourite colour. Leave it to Marg to be out of the ordinary, never afraid to be her own person. Alexis would order dresses with pockets that were heart or fish shaped and Marg would always deliver. At Christmas, we always received something home made, often at minimum, the bag the gift was wrapped inside.
Although they fought like cats and dogs as kids, Marg and Ann were very close, especially after Charlie passed away. Marg was always rescuing Ann from some stupid injury or such. About a week before Marg and Paul’s wedding, Marg, Ann and another friend were decorating the wedding cake. Marg’s parents, Paul’s parents and Paul were at the church together while the others worked on the cake. They returned from Church to find blood splattered up the wall and no one at the house. Ann nearly severed her thumb on the brand new food processor blade. Marg was there to hold on to Ann’s thumb while waiting in triage at Surrey Memorial while Ann was going in and out of consciousness. No matter what, Ann could always count on Marg to have her back and vice versa.
Alexis helped aid me in answering the question of how Paul and Marg got together.
It was 1984. Marg and her mom, Chris, had signed up together for a cooking class. The class was about six weeks long. Paul was also signed up for the same class but missed the first class, which didn’t leave very much time for him to make his move.
When Paul and Marg were finally partnered together, it was the week for making ice cream. They only got one chance to work together.
Paul had to work up the courage to ask Marg out. At the very last class Paul had figured it was now or never. But Marg didn’t come to the last class. So Paul had to give his number to Chris.
Apparently, as Paul remembers, Marg did not get around to calling Paul until ….TWO months later. …..
Oooh…
We can only Hope that it was Chris that had forgotten to give Marg the message and phone number from Paul.
Paul and Marg were married in 1989 among family and friends and moved into the house Marg was raised in to raise their own family.
Marg loved to go to concerts with Paul and the kids. There was one Concert in Vancouver that Alexis remembers well. Alexis’ friend Elly, flew in from Edmonton for one night, in order to see the Bleechers in concert. The concert was cancelled at the very last minute because the lead singer had to go the hospital.
They found out by sending a message by twitter giving him grief for cancelling with such short notice. The band was playing in Seattle the next night, so he told them to come down and he would leave tickets for them at the box office. Of course, they were smart and got a ticket for Marg before begging for a ride to Seattle. Marg obliged and drove the girls to Seattle the next night.
Marg was the only one who could get in early to the venue in Seattle because she was the only one over 21. Only drinkers could get in early. Marg was tasked with getting into the venue and then holding a standing room only area for Alexis and friends. When the kids were allowed in, Marg was quick to go to the back to sit and have a drink.
After the concert they were invited back stage. So while Marg was trying to wrangle everyone back to the car, the kids were backstage delaying her from getting home anytime before the early witching hours. Of course, Marg was the only one who had to work at 8 am the following morning.
Alexis remembers her mom as someone who always understood her, and I knew her as someone who would do anything for her kids.
I admired Marg the more I got to know her, as she was always doing ….things. If you knew today that you were going to die? And we DO all know today that we are going to die! Then maybe we would take our bucket list more seriously.
Marg lived her bucket list. She travelled for her vacations. She went to New Orleans, Hawaii and also one trip to Peru that, because of COVID lockdown, lasted about three weeks too long.
Marg was hip to all things cool, maybe because Alexis is in the biz, I’m not sure. I may be younger, but Marg was the one who knew all the musicians playing for the Superbowl Sunday football halftime show.
Marg bought a truck just last year, as she made more time to spend at the beach. She had paddle boards and kayaks, so that she, along with family and friends, could get on the water as much as possible. Ross especially enjoyed the time out on the water with his mom.
She was taken too fast from this earth, but I know that all of you are grateful for the time we had with Marg. And I hope that soon we will not be as sad about the time we have lost. I am sure that Marg is here with us and hoping that we can all smile with the memories we share today of her life.
When we reach the end of this journey here with our friends and family, there are three things we would like to know.
Was I loved?
Did I love well?
Did my life make a difference?
Marg, I know, without a doubt, that …
You were loved
You loved well
Your life did make a difference.
………………..
She is survived by her loving husband Paul Dayfoot, children Ross and Alexis, mother Chris Beddis, sister Ann, many relatives, friends and co-workers. Predeceased by her father Robbie and brother Charlie.
A Celebration of Life was held on September 4, 2022 at 1 pm at Northwood United Church 8855 – 156 Street, Surrey, BC
The event is available on Youtube at the following link, entitled:
Marg Beddis // Northwood United // Sept. 24, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQwzI9mtgUA
in lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to Surrey Hospitals Foundation in her memory.
On behalf of the family, I would like to thank you all for being here to celebrate the life of Marg Beddis. The number of you who took the time to gather here today is a testament to how important Marg was in many of your lives.
My name is Penny Regier. I am most honoured to have been asked by Marg’s family to say The eulogy today.
I like to take this time to express my sincere condolences to the love of her life, Paul, her precious children Ross and Alexis, her sister Ann and her mother Chris.
I did warn them all that there would be a longer and a shorter version today in case I become verklempt. But don’t worry, the long one isn’t too much longer than the other.
I also said to Paul, that despite knowing Marg for just over 20 years, it really feels that I didn’t know her as well as I would have expected. So to aid in that fact, I enlisted many others to help me tell you Marg’s story.
But my story first:
Marg graduated as a dietician in 1989 and started working at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 1991. She became a union steward for the HAS Health Sciences Association soon after she started working.
Marg and I met at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2001. I had been invited to a union meeting at lunchtime by my supervisor. I don’t know how I was convinced to enter a small room in the bowels of the hospital, with only a small table and a few chairs. There were no windows, not even in the steel door. It was like an interrogation room, but there was no water to drink on the table.
Alone in the room I sat with my respiratory therapy supervisor and one other lone union steward for the Health Sciences Association at Surrey hospital …Marg. As any other union stewards would recognize, at this point this was the beginning of the end. From that day onward, Marg was my mentor for all things “union”.
There was no escaping union work once you started. Marg saw right away that I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her beguiling ways.
Marg introduced me to the Occupational Health and Safety committee and taught me the ropes. She taught me how to drag in the unwilling managers to participate in monthly safety inspections of all areas of the hospital.
For many years Marg and I were buddies at conventions, training courses, Run for the Cure, labour day picnics, countless local chapter meetings and yearly conventions. Did I mention yet that I never did take the public speaking course that was offered every year by the union?
Marg took the public speaking course one year, and she never stopped after that. She had participated with NDP campaigns for years. When HSA developed their constituency liaison program, I’m sure Marg was the first one to volunteer, dragging me in as well once she found out that my MLA, Rich Coleman was not yet covered. She met with her MLA regularly to speak to them about the concerns of her fellow union members and to promote public health care.
Marg sat on the HSA board of directors for 10 years, serving as Secretary-Treasurer for a term and as an LTD trustee. She was a champion of social justice and fought hard to achieve the BCFED’s mantra: “What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all.”
Paul asked if I would share some words from Marg’s friends from HSA, some of whom could not be with us today:
Cindy Steward- former HSA president sent these words:
“So many benefited from her knowledge, energy and resolve. She set a standard – and was an example – for the many that followed in her footsteps. “
Sheila Vataiki is a seasoned labour relations officer with HSA. Her words about Marg.
“Her passion was remarkable and she was an extremely strong and very good advocate. She was so smart and insightful she made it easy for me to do my job. As she moved on in her union roles and responsibilities, we continued to work together as her roles and mine changed. We had many laughs at meetings and union events, and accomplished some very good resolves for our members secondary to her excellent, detailed and determined work.”
Miriam Sobrino is Director of Communications and Member Development at HAS. Miriam and Marg first met when they were working on NDP campaigns at Chris and Robbie’s house 35 years ago. Miriam said that
“Marg was absolutely one of our hardest working and most committed activist members. We will really feel her loss here at HSA.”
Leila Lolua, a retired labour relations officer from HSA said :
What I really liked about being with Marg is that she said what she thought - unvarnished and blunt in her dry and at times sarcastic way if need be - and this really helped get to the real issue and work towards a resolution. She was a real ally trying to achieve equity in a female-dominated Union.
One year, about six years ago, My husband Ron and I were going to be alone on Christmas Day. Unbeknownst to Marg, I had recently read this book: “The Knack of selling Yourself”
I used my newly developed skills and conveniently convinced Marg to invite Ron and I for Christmas dinner. On Christmas Day, we were welcomed, and given the honour of meeting Marg’s family:
Marg’s mom, Chris (Loula to the kids), Ann (Marg’s sister), her children Ross and Alexis and of course, Paul, Marg’s best friend and husband.
Ron and I were not the only guests at Family dinners. Over the years we met several other guests who must have read the same book as I had. Marg always found someone who needed a family at Christmastime. Secretly now I think she just needed a gullible drunk to wear the turkey hat.
Thank you for letting us all be with your family at Christmas and many other family dinners. Thank you for sharing that extra special time with Marg. So precious was that time to all of us.
So Grandparents day was on September 11th this month. I was with Alexis when Chris, her grandmother, called to mention that special day. So I took that opportunity to make a date with Chris to talk about Marg. For those of you who might need to have a date with Chris anytime soon, she likes vanilla ice cream. Don’t forget.
My visit with Chris last week was a good chance to see her new home for the last year and a half. Chris raised her family in the house on 96th street in Surrey, the one where Paul and Marg resided. Chris and her husband, Robbie, had originally built the house in 1959 when the road was still gravel with farms surrounding their small rancher.
By the time The Beddis family became a family of five, Robbie, with friends and family, lifted the house and made a basement for the home to create more space.
The basement had become a great storage place for the fruits of Marg’s gardening skills. Marg had canned fruit and jams, which were often gifts that we all received at Christmas and birthdays. There are many photos on record of Marg in her garden, the majority of the backyard filled with raised beds of flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Under the leadership of Chris, as District commissioner, Marg was in brownies and Girl Guides. She received top honours in Girl Guides, earning the Canadian Chord Award for completing the Pathfinder program. I asked Chris specifically what Marg was like, and Chris assured me that Marg was always a good child, only good grades and good behaviour.
Ann, Marg’s sister, only provided me a brief short story that was contrary to Marg’s good girl persona. Just something about Marg and her brother, Charlie, seeing if they could make their red wagon jump the ditch with a small toddler inside the wagon.
Sorry Ann, but Marg once told me that you were the sort to be easily injured. I think Marg may have made it look like you fell out of that wagon on your own.
Ann helped me piece together some of Marg’s many passions.
As a child, Marg was diagnosed with asthma. The doctor recommended swimming to help her breathing. From that point on, water was Marg’s peaceful place.
Her love of swimming led her to enrol in courses with Royal Life Saving Society and the Canadian Red Cross. Marg’s first career was in Aquatics. Marg paid her way through college and University lifeguarding. She was a lifeguard at almost every indoor and outdoor pool in the City of Surrey.
Marg loved music. In high school she was in the choir at North Surrey Senior Secondary and went on a trip with the band to Europe in her graduating year. She later took up playing the steel drums with the band playing today Sweet Pan. They even put out their own CD – Birds of a feather.
Marg took up sewing in high school. She made everything from bathing suits to ski suits. Marg made her own wedding dress. It was pink Marg’s favourite colour. Leave it to Marg to be out of the ordinary, never afraid to be her own person. Alexis would order dresses with pockets that were heart or fish shaped and Marg would always deliver. At Christmas, we always received something home made, often at minimum, the bag the gift was wrapped inside.
Although they fought like cats and dogs as kids, Marg and Ann were very close, especially after Charlie passed away. Marg was always rescuing Ann from some stupid injury or such. About a week before Marg and Paul’s wedding, Marg, Ann and another friend were decorating the wedding cake. Marg’s parents, Paul’s parents and Paul were at the church together while the others worked on the cake. They returned from Church to find blood splattered up the wall and no one at the house. Ann nearly severed her thumb on the brand new food processor blade. Marg was there to hold on to Ann’s thumb while waiting in triage at Surrey Memorial while Ann was going in and out of consciousness. No matter what, Ann could always count on Marg to have her back and vice versa.
Alexis helped aid me in answering the question of how Paul and Marg got together.
It was 1984. Marg and her mom, Chris, had signed up together for a cooking class. The class was about six weeks long. Paul was also signed up for the same class but missed the first class, which didn’t leave very much time for him to make his move.
When Paul and Marg were finally partnered together, it was the week for making ice cream. They only got one chance to work together.
Paul had to work up the courage to ask Marg out. At the very last class Paul had figured it was now or never. But Marg didn’t come to the last class. So Paul had to give his number to Chris.
Apparently, as Paul remembers, Marg did not get around to calling Paul until ….TWO months later. …..
Oooh…
We can only Hope that it was Chris that had forgotten to give Marg the message and phone number from Paul.
Paul and Marg were married in 1989 among family and friends and moved into the house Marg was raised in to raise their own family.
Marg loved to go to concerts with Paul and the kids. There was one Concert in Vancouver that Alexis remembers well. Alexis’ friend Elly, flew in from Edmonton for one night, in order to see the Bleechers in concert. The concert was cancelled at the very last minute because the lead singer had to go the hospital.
They found out by sending a message by twitter giving him grief for cancelling with such short notice. The band was playing in Seattle the next night, so he told them to come down and he would leave tickets for them at the box office. Of course, they were smart and got a ticket for Marg before begging for a ride to Seattle. Marg obliged and drove the girls to Seattle the next night.
Marg was the only one who could get in early to the venue in Seattle because she was the only one over 21. Only drinkers could get in early. Marg was tasked with getting into the venue and then holding a standing room only area for Alexis and friends. When the kids were allowed in, Marg was quick to go to the back to sit and have a drink.
After the concert they were invited back stage. So while Marg was trying to wrangle everyone back to the car, the kids were backstage delaying her from getting home anytime before the early witching hours. Of course, Marg was the only one who had to work at 8 am the following morning.
Alexis remembers her mom as someone who always understood her, and I knew her as someone who would do anything for her kids.
I admired Marg the more I got to know her, as she was always doing ….things. If you knew today that you were going to die? And we DO all know today that we are going to die! Then maybe we would take our bucket list more seriously.
Marg lived her bucket list. She travelled for her vacations. She went to New Orleans, Hawaii and also one trip to Peru that, because of COVID lockdown, lasted about three weeks too long.
Marg was hip to all things cool, maybe because Alexis is in the biz, I’m not sure. I may be younger, but Marg was the one who knew all the musicians playing for the Superbowl Sunday football halftime show.
Marg bought a truck just last year, as she made more time to spend at the beach. She had paddle boards and kayaks, so that she, along with family and friends, could get on the water as much as possible. Ross especially enjoyed the time out on the water with his mom.
She was taken too fast from this earth, but I know that all of you are grateful for the time we had with Marg. And I hope that soon we will not be as sad about the time we have lost. I am sure that Marg is here with us and hoping that we can all smile with the memories we share today of her life.
When we reach the end of this journey here with our friends and family, there are three things we would like to know.
Was I loved?
Did I love well?
Did my life make a difference?
Marg, I know, without a doubt, that …
You were loved
You loved well
Your life did make a difference.