Georges and Josette Magri write:
How could we let dear Maggie go without a song of praise? This is our tribute to a wonderful, special person, one whose colourful, bubbly personality, bursting with charisma, made her stand out from a crowd, endearing her to all. She did not have it easy, however.
An early widowhood at the age of 52 brought her down to stark reality and made her have to cope with being father, mother, guardian, bread-winner and counsellor, all in one. Yet, she never complained, rising to any occasion, facing drawbacks, problems and any hitch with an admirable spirit of resilience, without revealing any anxiety to her teenage children. Rather, she would put on a brave face, smiling against all adversity.
Something remarkable was the way she kept her late husband Victor's image alive with her children and grandchildren. While relating funny episodes and amusing anecdotes from their married life, with a long repertoire of his good, witty jokes, her boisterous laughter, quite contagious, echoed around her, sending everyone into fits. Her twinkling blue eyes and charming smile made her get away with everything, even the rude ones!
Maggie was a loving mother as well as mother-in-law, a quality somewhat rare in life. She was like a brooding hen, forever fussing over her family, making their problems her own. She was an excellent cook, a great conversationalist (never a dull moment with her) and a good hostess. Any occasion was good enough for throwing a party or organising a meal to celebrate an event, going into it with outstanding enthusiasm. Generous to a fault, she would make sure that everyone was enjoying the good fare she had prepared.
She bore her dreadful illness with fortitude and great resignation, with a sweet though tired smile, sometimes even laughing on a good day, as she had done in the past. A few hours before she died, lucid till the end, she remarked on the tot of whisky she had asked for:"How sad... I don't think I'll be getting any of this where I'm going. Don't remind me !"
Maggie will be sorely missed. Such a forceful presence unfailingly leaves an aching void behind but her warm, loving embrace still touches our hearts and her cheerful laugh will forever be ringing in our ears. She is not gone, she has simply moved on. Her beloved family, relatives and friends know this to be true.