McKillop, Margaret
McKillop, Margaret Eleanor (nee: Colpitts)
November 26, 1942 – March 3, 2025It is with great sadness that the family of Margaret Eleanor McKillop announces her passing after a brief but valiant fight with cancer at the age of 82 years, on March 3, 2025.
Margaret was a loving, dedicated, fun loving, competitive and hardworking woman. She was a beloved wife of 60 years, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents Luetta (Fryers) and Gordon Colpitts.
Margaret will be forever and lovingly remembered by her husband and high school sweetheart Bob McKillop, her daughter Barbara Jones (Bob), and her son Bobby McKillop. She is also survived by her three grandchildren Taylor Elliot (Laura), Jayne Elliot-Marin (Sophia), and Kaylee Hinkley (Ross), and her sister Elizabeth Rumball. Margaret always held her step-grandchildren, Brittney Pearce and Ryan Palmer and their families close to her heart. Margaret will also be greatly missed by her furry companion, Coco.
Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 1942 to Luetta (Fryers) and Gordon Colpitts, Margaret and her sister Betty spent their early years in the tropics of Colombia, South America. They later moved to Calgary, Alberta, and then to Lawrence Park in Toronto. Margaret, with her long curly blonde hair in pigtails, learned to ride horses in both Bogotá and Calgary with her horse, Cleo. She excelled in sports, was a fast runner, and took up figure skating at the Glencoe Club in Calgary. In high school at Lawrence Park Collegiate, she was a cheerleader and met her high school sweetheart, Robert (Bob) McKillop, the school's quarterback. She cheered as their football team won the Toronto City Championship, and one of her favorite memories was traveling by train to New York City to perform with the school choir. Bob wouldn’t get on the train without her!
Margaret was a proud graduate of the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1964. After marrying Bob in September of that year, they moved to Kitchener so Bob could attend the University of Waterloo. Margaret quickly began working at St. Mary’s Hospital, where she became a dedicated and exceptional obstetrical nurse. Following the rationalization of services between Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospitals, she joined the Nursing Administration Team, initially as an Evening Supervisor, eventually retiring as the OR/PACU Nurse Manager. Known for her phenomenal work ethic, Margaret worked tirelessly to ensure quality patient care while navigating the challenge of doing more with less, constantly reinventing her role to meet the hospital’s evolving needs.
Margaret enjoyed travelling and sunny adventures. Sailing in the North Channel was memorable, and the source of many funny memories of when Margaret would save the ship. “We got into trouble, but we were good at getting out of trouble!”. Winter months often spent in Florida were relaxing and cherished, a time to soak up the sun, collect shark’s teeth, and heel her tired nursing feet. But Margaret’s true “home away from home” was Black Bass Island, near San Souci, where Margaret’s family convened since the 1950s. Summers there were filled with beach clearing, fish cleaning, making her famous fudge, boating, waterskiing, picnicking, and enjoying sunny days and steady West Winds on Georgian Bay.
Margaret always cherished time with family and friends, and it was always “good news” when visitors arrived, like Bobby and family from Michigan, the O’Leary’s from Lindsay, or the Rumballs from Kirkland Lake. Her grandchildren, Taylor, Jayne, and Kaylee, were her pride and joy, and she loved hearing their stories about their lives, and she also loved capturing their special moments in photos. Margaret treated her many family pets as the valuable family members they were, and cherished Coco’s visits to the hospital in her final months. She also adored her garden and the birds that visited.
Margaret was an avid sports fan who thoroughly enjoyed following her family members and their teams throughout their sporting careers. This meant many days on the road travelling to games and staying in hotels with a few trips to the ER as their support nurse to advocate for the best possible care. Since moving to the Lost Forest in 2019, if the Toronto Blue Jays or the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing, you would find Marg in her chair beside Bob cheering on her favourite players. If sports were not on the television, you would find Marg in her garden or feeding the birds that regularly visited her yard.
Margaret will be remembered for her genuine interest in the lives of those she loved, her beautiful laugh, and her playful giggling when we were being silly. Her memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved her. Strong friendships from Blythewood Public School, Lawrence Park High School, Toronto General Hospital Nursing School, and St. Mary’s Hospital remained with her throughout her life. She will be deeply missed by her dear friends in Forest Heights in Kitchener, Lost Forest Park in Burlington, and beyond.
Thank you
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday June 20th in Kitchener. Details to follow.
The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their favourite charity in Margaret’s name.
