Marilyn Powell
In Memoriam
Marilyn Joan Powell
May 2, 1938 - March 14, 2002
I first met Marilyn and her then sweetheart and later husband David, in 1959 when we were all students at UBC, and I myself, a new arrival to Canada. As the years went by, our friendship grew to become one between our respective families, and continued on even after our graduation when Marilyn and her spouse headed east for greener pastures, first Montreal, then Chicago and finally Toronto where they eventually settled.
Marilyn, the only child of the late Hank and Elsie Norman, enjoyed a long and fruitful career as an Educator, commencing her teaching career in Trail, B.C. then Edmonton and finally in Toronto.
She dedicated her vocational career to the teaching of special needs kids and slow learners.
Following the loss of her husband in 1996 and her subsequent retirement she decided to resettle on the west coast where many of her family, in-laws and old and some recent new friends resided.
In her new hometown of New Westminster, she became involved with such organizations as The New Leaf Club, Block Watch and ‘Meals on Wheels’ on November 27, 2000, she was inducted into the Rotary club of Richmond, and shortly thereafter into The World Fellowship of Rotarian Gourmets, thereby indulging in another one of her passions- cooking.
Without too much coaxing, Marilyn soon accepted the challenge to accept the position of our Bulletin Editor and after one month of shear determination and a lot of anguish, she was finally producing, completely on her own, a considerably larger and more poignant newsletter, and one, which was literally the result of blood sweat and tears.
In just 17 short months Marilyn taught us the true meaning of commitment, perseverance in achieving your goals even against your own short comings and in the face of whatever adversity is thrown your way and above all she demonstrated to her fellow Rotarians, her family and her friends, the true meaning of Rotary’s ideal of service - ‘Service above Self’
Many compliments from our Club’s members have been paid to Marilyn during her short tenure with respect to her invaluable contribution to our Club, since there were many areas in which she willing involved herself often without having to be asked to do so but just three weeks ago, at our regular meetings, our president extended to Marilyn further compliments received from a visitor who one week earlier had remarked to him that our club’s newsletter was one of the best he had ever seen.
That Bulletin to which he referred, would be the last one that Marilyn would ever publish and that meeting, at which she was again complimented, would be the last that she would ever attend.
“ It matters not how you die, but how you lived your ‘DASH’
by Wilbur Walrond