- After a brief illness, Marion passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family. Predeceased by her husband Mitchell (2015); her parents, Dewey and Elizabeth (Gloyd); and her siblings, Helen, Betty, Myrl and Lloyd. Marion will be deeply missed by nieces Jane Paisley-Canning (George), Judy Paisley (Richard), Cyndee Case (Dave), great niece and nephew Paisley Canning and Robert Canning, nephews Wayne, Rick, Bill and Geoff Smith and many dear friends.
Born in Dunnville, Marion lived a long and happy life. She married Mitchell Brown Tait, a Kiwi soldier, in 1951. During WWII, Mitch served with the 25th Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces until he was wounded by a land mine explosion in Italy. After returning from WWII, Mitch opened a photography business that flourished until his retirement. With a husband, brother, great nephew, and uncle who served in the armed forces, Marion supported efforts to recognize the tremendous contributions that veterans make to the lives of all Canadians. Although a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis added to Mitchell's health challenges, Marion and Mitch enjoyed 64 happy years together. Through it all, Marion was Mitch's staunch advocate and caregiver – she continued to provide daily care for him until his death in 2015. Marion made many wonderful friends among the people who shared in Mitch's care over the years.
With a keen mind for details, Marion had a long and successful career in administrative positions. She started her career with the Royal Bank in Dunnville, then worked for Molly Hedrick's Insurance Agency for many, many years. She eventually retired from Duliban Insurance so she could spend more time with her many hobbies and with Mitch.
Marion cherished her family and was very close to her sister Betty. Wherever Betty went, Marion was right beside her – whether it was a quick shopping trip, a card party, or celebrating a family event. The weekly card parties organized by Marion, Betty, sister-in-law Gloria Smith, and friend Glenda Toll were marked by raucous laughter; although things got serious when it came to keeping score – after all, there were penny bets involved.
Marion expressed her strong creative flair through many activities, including calligraphy, drawing, and wood carving. As an avid member of a local wood carving group she made both wonderful friends and beautiful works of art. Among her treasures are many species of ducks, ravens, raptors, kiwis (of course), bears, shorebirds and others. She readily shared her love of carving with others and carved daily until very recently.
Marion was a gifted genealogist and very proud to be a Mayflower descendant, United Empire Loyalist, and a Daughter of the American Revolution. Marion loved chatting about her genealogy discoveries and with her extensive knowledge of family ancestries, she could usually figure out the common connections that unite so many of us. She avidly encouraged others to learn more about their family histories and helped many people get started on their own paths to discovery. Accompanied by niece Cyndee (her ‘Mayflower girl'), Marion made several trips to Plymouth Massachusetts to celebrate her Mayflower heritage. She treasured the family members and friends she discovered through her genealogical research.
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1925 - 2020 (95 years)
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