Peacefully and surrounded by her loving family, Mary Gwen passed away at the Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of 88.

 

Mary Gwen leaves her five children - John (Kathy), Matthew (Lisa), Charlotte (Carl) Christopher (Indra), and Tobias (Allison); five grandsons - Chester, Kurt, Jack, Amar and Ravi; and five granddaughters - Amelia, Molly, Lucy, Mary June, and Sonya. Mary Gwen’s husband Dennis Duggan predeceased her in 2009. Her parents Scott and Charlotte MacKay, and her brothers Scott and Edwin predeceased her, and she leaves her brothers Lyal and Murray, and her sister-in-law Clare MacLean and brother-in-law Allan Evoy.

 

Mary Gwen was born in Limerick, Saskatchewan where her father owned and operated the local pharmacy. She and her four older brothers grew up there and in Regina, before she left for Edmonton, Alberta where she met and soon married Dennis Duggan who had recently arrived from southern Ontario. They were truly best friends for life.

 

Mary Gwen played many roles in her life and had an extraordinary array of talents and accomplishments, although self-deprecating to a fault, and always with a wit as dry as the prairie. Mary Gwen left us with a joke in the midst of a conversation that began a long time ago and that we all wished would never end.

 

A small gathering was held at her granddaughter Molly’s house to celebrate Mary Gwen’s life. A good time was had by all. The family kindly requests that all of her friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour her memory by watching the photo-biography above. Please, also consider sharing your own photos, memories, and stories by making use of the comment section on this page.

 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: West Central Women’s Resource Centre, 640 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3G 0A7