Passed away peacefully at the Groves Memorial Hospital in Fergus, on November 6, 2014, after a very active 94 years.

Mary was born in Toronto in 1920, the daughter of John Manners Johnson and Helen Swinton Hutton. Her parents, emigrants from England and Scotland respectively, gave her a good education and raised her in a household where service to the community was a given. She attended St. Clement’s School, Lawrence Park Collegiate, and business college. Her young life was enriched with choral singing and Canadian Girls in Training. She was also very involved with her parents’ volunteer activities, particularly the War Amps.

Mary worked as a lab assistant at the Toronto Western Hospital, and as a lab technician preparing medicines for E.B. Shuttleworth Ltd., Toronto.

She met RCAF Flight Officer Bruce MacNamara at an Active Service Canteen. They danced at Casa Loma, and were married in 1944. Bruce’s service as a pilot and flight instructor took them west to live “in a cardboard box” on the base in Mossbank, Saskatchewan.

When Bruce was discharged in 1945, they came back to Ontario and bought a farm in Caledon Twp., where they lived (raising three kids and many chickens) until 1966. Mary joined the Mono Road Women’s Institute (WI) and served as president.

In 1966, the family moved to Guelph. The city provided opportunities for Mary to join the United Church Women, the Royal City WI, the horticultural society, and to volunteer with special-needs children. She also took the opportunity to learn—about Malaysian cooking, cake decorating, flower arranging, and weaving. Weaving became a passion.

In 1975, Bruce and Mary built a new home on their farm in Eramosa Twp., which included a generous space for Mary’s loom. Her WI “home” was now Speedside, and she became very active in the Wellington County Spinners and Weavers.

In 1980, they sold the farm and retired to Fergus. Without farm obligations, they took the opportunity to travel—to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Portugal, Paris, Ireland, England, Crete, Malta, Alaska, Yukon, New Orleans, and Arizona. They also worked wholeheartedly to support their local Groves Memorial Community Hospital, serving on the board of directors and in many volunteer capacities.

When the new Wellington County Museum opened in the late 1980s, Mary persuaded staff of the value of community help and became the “pioneer” volunteer, helping hundreds of kids bake cookies and demonstrating weaving.

When Speedside Women’s Institute folded, she joined the Fergus WI and when it, too, decided to fold, she was sad but very proud of the contribution the organization has made to family life in Ontario.

Both Mary and Bruce were honoured to be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows for their community work by the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora.

Mary’s last few years were spent at Wellington Terrace. She loved it there, and took every opportunity to participate in crafts, exercises, gardening, and to provide advice from a resident’s perspective. We are so grateful to all the wonderful, caring staff and volunteers who made her life so rich there.

Mary was predeceased by her husband Bruce Donald MacNamara in 2004. She was the much loved mother of Linda Cousins and her husband Winston of Kensington, PEI, Jane MacNamara of Toronto, and Jim MacNamara and his wife Erica of Paisley. The very proud grandmother of Linda and Winston’s children Marilyn MacMurdo (Andrew), Rosanne Cousins, Lyndon Cousins (Kathryn), Stuart Cousins, and Trent Cousins, and of Jim and Erica’s son Keegan MacNamara. Great grandmother of Marilyn and Andrew’s children Ellen, Sarah and Isaac, and of Lyndon and Kathryn’s children Kristen and Ian. Predeceased by her sisters Amy Booth Meyer and Irene Sandells.

Please gather with us to celebrate her life at the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home Chapel, 280 St. David St. South, Fergus, on Thursday, November 20th, 2014 at 11:00am. Lunch to follow.

Memorial donations can be directed to the charity of your choice. Some of Mary’s favourites were the Groves Memorial Community Hospital http://www.grovesfoundation.com/, the War Amps of Canada http://www.waramps.ca/, and Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis http://www.gwwomenincrisis.org/. Donating a few hours of your time would also be a very fitting tribute.