Obituary for Marilyn Joan Aldworth
Marilyn has left us for another universe. After a year-long battle with leukemia, she died peacefully in her home surrounded by her family and close friends and with the caring assistance of MAID. She looked beautiful to the end with the sun streaming onto her face and the soft notes of her favourite Van Morrison song playing in the background. Throughout the past year, Marilyn was extraordinarily courageous and remained positive and optimistic. She was grateful for the love and support she received from family and friends and the dedicated staff at VGH Leukemia/BMT Department.
She leaves behind her best friend and husband Christopher Morrey-Jones, her beloved children, Gareth and Emily, her sister Patricia Munro (Peter Chataway), her sister-in-law Jane Law (Steven), many friends - Val, Joanne, Anne, David - as well as the Munro and Clark family cousins. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Rod and Joan Munro and brother, Rory.
Marilyn grew up in Nelson, BC before her family moved to New Westminster at the age of 12. After graduating from New Westminster Senior Secondary in 1970, she attended the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Following a brief career in teaching, her love of books resulted in a change of direction and she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Western Ontario. She spent most of her working life as the District Librarian for the North Vancouver School District until retiring in 2010.
Besides spending time with her family, Marilyn loved sports, adventure and travel, visiting more than 30 countries in all corners of the world. On two separate occasions she lived in Japan; conversant in both French and Japanese she was asked to be a hostess at the Expo 75 Canadian Pavilion in Okinawa.
The other time she lived away from Canada was when she was on a year's sabbatical, moving with Christopher, Gareth & Emily to England in 2000 to live in Cheltenham. She often said that the year she experienced there, which included various family excursions around Europe, playing lots of tennis and skiing, was one of the most memorable and satisfying years of her life.
Marilyn was a serious tennis player who won a bunch of trophies. A serendipitous trip to a local tennis court resulted in her meeting Christopher in1982. On their honeymoon the following year they traveled to Wimbledon and the French Open. Years later they attended the Australian Open and finished off their very own Grand Slam with a visit to the US Open in 2018, one of the highlights of a six-month, 24,000-km Road Trip around the continent in their Camper Van.
The New Westminster Tennis Club became her home away from home and she was a key member of the Club's Ladies League Team which won a provincial championship in 2017. She was also the winner of numerous events throughout the years at the Annual Club Tournament.
To describe Marilyn as competitive is an understatement. And while she played to win, she did so with an inclusive sense of humour as she, more often than not, beat her opponents at tennis, ping pong or Scrabble. She was passionate about many things including reading, gardening, skiing, swimming and baking. She also had a keen interest in poetry and could sometimes be heard playing her baby grand piano.
An avid reader, she will be especially missed by her book club, "Women of Words", of which she was a member for over thirty years.
A keen gardener, she made pies and desserts from the apples, raspberries, rhubarb and blackberries she picked from her garden.
Through the years, Marilyn loved to walk with her dogs, Barnaby, Walter, Otis and Dahlia from her idyllic home in Robert Burnaby Park. Missed by many she will be forever remembered by those who knew her.
A blood donation to Canadian Blood Services or a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada in her name would be appreciated by Marilyn and her family.
A Celebration of Life will be held later in the year.
She leaves behind her best friend and husband Christopher Morrey-Jones, her beloved children, Gareth and Emily, her sister Patricia Munro (Peter Chataway), her sister-in-law Jane Law (Steven), many friends - Val, Joanne, Anne, David - as well as the Munro and Clark family cousins. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Rod and Joan Munro and brother, Rory.
Marilyn grew up in Nelson, BC before her family moved to New Westminster at the age of 12. After graduating from New Westminster Senior Secondary in 1970, she attended the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Following a brief career in teaching, her love of books resulted in a change of direction and she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Western Ontario. She spent most of her working life as the District Librarian for the North Vancouver School District until retiring in 2010.
Besides spending time with her family, Marilyn loved sports, adventure and travel, visiting more than 30 countries in all corners of the world. On two separate occasions she lived in Japan; conversant in both French and Japanese she was asked to be a hostess at the Expo 75 Canadian Pavilion in Okinawa.
The other time she lived away from Canada was when she was on a year's sabbatical, moving with Christopher, Gareth & Emily to England in 2000 to live in Cheltenham. She often said that the year she experienced there, which included various family excursions around Europe, playing lots of tennis and skiing, was one of the most memorable and satisfying years of her life.
Marilyn was a serious tennis player who won a bunch of trophies. A serendipitous trip to a local tennis court resulted in her meeting Christopher in1982. On their honeymoon the following year they traveled to Wimbledon and the French Open. Years later they attended the Australian Open and finished off their very own Grand Slam with a visit to the US Open in 2018, one of the highlights of a six-month, 24,000-km Road Trip around the continent in their Camper Van.
The New Westminster Tennis Club became her home away from home and she was a key member of the Club's Ladies League Team which won a provincial championship in 2017. She was also the winner of numerous events throughout the years at the Annual Club Tournament.
To describe Marilyn as competitive is an understatement. And while she played to win, she did so with an inclusive sense of humour as she, more often than not, beat her opponents at tennis, ping pong or Scrabble. She was passionate about many things including reading, gardening, skiing, swimming and baking. She also had a keen interest in poetry and could sometimes be heard playing her baby grand piano.
An avid reader, she will be especially missed by her book club, "Women of Words", of which she was a member for over thirty years.
A keen gardener, she made pies and desserts from the apples, raspberries, rhubarb and blackberries she picked from her garden.
Through the years, Marilyn loved to walk with her dogs, Barnaby, Walter, Otis and Dahlia from her idyllic home in Robert Burnaby Park. Missed by many she will be forever remembered by those who knew her.
A blood donation to Canadian Blood Services or a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada in her name would be appreciated by Marilyn and her family.
A Celebration of Life will be held later in the year.