BACQUIE, Joan Marguerite Crawford 'Maggie' - (March 8, 1944 - April 29, 2021) -
Joan Marguerite Crawford, affectionately called Maggie, was born in Jamaica on March 8, 1944 to parents Guy and Geraldine Crawford. She was the baby, with 3 older siblings – Norma (deceased), Horace (deceased) and Tyrone.
Maggie was born with a fighting spirit, ready to take on anyone who messed with her or with someone she loved. She was well known to be feisty and fresh, and famous for speaking her mind! It’s no wonder that she hated school because, one can only imagine, that the Nuns would not have appreciated her mouthiness!
However, once she got into the workforce, she was unstoppable, working hard and excelling at all her jobs from the Telephone Company and Alcan in Jamaica to BP, Petro Canada and TD in Canada. Her work ethic was admirable and earned her the respect of all her colleagues.
Maggie would tell you that her greatest source of pride, gratitude and joy was her family. She was an amazing daughter to her parents, Mama and Papa. As an adult, she assumed the full responsibility for them and she devoted herself to caring for them both in sickness and in health.
When her sister, Norma, passed away, Maggie and Mama committed themselves to raising her 2 babies, Claudia “Sue Sue” and Yvonne “Babes”. Maggie was only 16 at the time, barely out of childhood herself, but she loved and cared for Claudia (and Isaac) and Yvonne, as if they were her own, until her dying day.
In October,1965, Maggie met Paul on a serendipitous trip to Blue Mountain Peak. After a 5-month whirlwind romance they became engaged and 6 months after that, on Sept 24,1966, they were married. Paul says, although fast, and, to some people may even have seemed crazy, it was the best decision he ever made. Their almost 54-year marriage had all the ups and downs of most marriages and, through it all, their love for each other grew stronger and their bond unbreakable. This was due to their unwavering faith in God, their commitment to the vows they made to each other, their respect for each other, and, perhaps in part, due to Paul’s early understanding that ‘a happy wife, made for a happy life’!
Early in their marriage, Maggie and Paul had 2 sons, Noel “Chucks,” born in 1968, and Nigel “Boo,” born in 1970. They were her pride and joy and she raised them to always look out for each other and support each other. Their close friendship throughout their lives is a testament to this
When Maggie married Paul, his family became her family. She loved his sister, Lorraine, like she was her own sister, she loved his parents, Birdie and Noel, like her own parents and she loved his extended family. And, that love towards her family was reciprocated by Paul. He loved and cared for Maggie’s parents and he accepted and loved Claudia and Yvonne as his daughters.
In 1974, Paul and Maggie migrated to Canada with their family. For Maggie, it was always about creating a better life for her family and creating a warm, loving home for her husband and her children… a place where we would all feel safe and comfortable and loved, a place we would always call home.
Maggie watched as her children grew and thrived, married and had children of their own. Revelling in her expanding family, the advent of each new member added to the list of people she worried about and prayed for daily. Her grandchildren; Jacob “Big One or Jakie” and Jaeden “Jimmi Lu”, her grand nieces and nephews; Trine (and Aaron), Nicholas “Shushi” (and Christina), Krystle (and Thomas), Norma, Ashleigh “Munch” (and Cody), Elijah, Ben (and Maria), Michael and Madison; her great grand nieces and nephews; Asher, Milo, Henry, Beyah “Chich”, Nola, Amelia “MiMi”, and Charlie, have all been blessed to be loved by her, even though it meant that they had to answer to her. Her nieces, Christine(deceased) and Sharon and their children, Keith, Kara and Sasha have also been blessed to be in her Circle of Love.
(As an aside, you will notice the various nicknames (in quotations and italics) that Maggie created and used for many of those she loved – most of the names have no connection to anything that makes sense to us or to the outside observer, however, they were Maggie’s ‘special’ names and, if you were given one, it made you feel very special.)
Maggie’s grandsons, Jacob and Jaeden, were especially blessed because they had the good fortune of her retiring just in time to become their Primary Care Giver. Grandma was always there for them, fixing breakfast for them before they went to school, making lunch for them (and their friends) at home so they didn’t have to eat sandwiches like the rest of the kids at school, and making dinner for them after school. She coddled them and fussed over them and loved every minute of being around them.
Maggie loved and cared for her friends the way she loved and cared for her family. If you were lucky enough to be her friend or family, then you know how loyal, giving and thoughtful she was. She remembered everyone’s birthday and reached out to them; she kept in touch with everyone she cared about – a phone call, a text, an email – just to let you know you were on her mind. You could always count on her to listen to you and offer you words of support and advice. In fact, she gave advice even when you didn’t want it and you could always count on her to give you the cold hard truth!
Maggie was passionate in her views and vocal about her opinions. Once she made up her mind about something, she could not be swayed. This led to spirited discussions and arguments which we would all eventually realize we could never win. To say she was a stubborn person would be an understatement. However, in spite of the frustration this may have sometimes caused us, we also loved her for it because it was a part of what made her so uniquely special.
Maggie’s Faith was integral to who she was. A committed Catholic, she never missed Saturday or Sunday Mass, or her morning Rosary prayers. She believed in the power of prayer, and she prayed daily for those she loved. As her illness progressed, her Faith in God never wavered. She had no fear of dying because she believed that what was to come would be beautiful and everlasting.
Maggie, you created a lasting legacy of love for us and you taught us the full meaning of the word Family. You did this by example, loving us unconditionally and caring for us selflessly. You kept our family united, whether near or far, and we pledge to honour your Legacy by remaining a united family. You have deeply enriched the lives of your family and your friends. We will all love you forever and the memory of your love for us will be forever etched in our hearts.
As per her wishes, no funeral services will be held at this time. Cremation will take place and her cremated remains will be laid to rest in Jamaica.
{fastsocialshare