Margaret McMillan Crocker (nee Millard)

It is with heartfelt sadness, we announce the peaceful passing of Margaret (also known as Dot) after a short hospital stay on September 11, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.  For the past 60 years, she lived in the family home, as was her wish. She was nicknamed, Dot at an early age and went by this moniker until she was in her 70’s when she decided to revert to her birthname, Margaret.

Dot (Marg) was predeceased by her husband, Glenrae in 1997, her sister Babs and brother Harry. She is survived by her eldest son Glen (Julie), daughter Terry, sons Ronald (Debbie) and Bruce (Mandy); grandchildren Natasha Knight (Kevin), Daryl (Bailee), Liam (Alanah), Reece, and Rachael Duranti (Chris); great-grandchildren Lauren, Rory and Raelen Knight, DJ and Kenzee Crocker.  Dot is also survived by her brother, Gary and several nieces and nephews.

Known for her strength, loyalty, honesty, humour, resilience, stubbornness, no-nonsense attitude and understated love for her family, Dot will be fondly missed by all who knew her. In particular, she will be dearly missed by her longtime neighbour, Dolores Mebs, who has always been such a great friend to her, along with her family.

Dot was born in Nanaimo on May 1, 1928, but her family soon moved to Salt Spring Island for a short period where she attended grade one at Ganges Elementary and then to Victoria where she resided for most of her life.  Dot attended Burnside Elementary and took the streetcar for a nickel to Central Junior High and Victoria High School. She graduated in 1946, attended one year of college at Camosun, and spent her free time waltzing on roller skates at the various roller rinks in the city and attending dances at the Crystal Gardens. Dot worked at several lumber offices, a bank and a doctor’s office while she was single and, while married, she worked part-time at the first McDonald’s restaurant in Victoria and later Sears at Hillside.

Dot met her future husband, Rae at a dance and although she was not immediately smitten as he had shot water at her while she was wearing a velvet dress, she still agreed to go out with him, and they married on June 12, 1954. For a time, the newlyweds rented a place on Portage Inlet where their first child, Glen was born. While Glen was still a toddler, they moved to a new house on Midgard Avenue where their family continued to grow with the birth of Terry, Ronald and Bruce.  The “Little House”, as it was later referred to, only had two bedrooms so they decided to build a new home around the corner on Ansell Road and moved in during the summer of 1964. Their good neighbours Herb and Dolores Mebs moved in next door shortly thereafter.

Although Rae always said Dot could barely boil water when they first got married, she soon embraced the role of a homemaker. Dot learned how to cook and became an accomplished baker, seamstress and knitter and could darn the hole in any sock when her children were young.  She loved family life and enjoyed sleigh riding down Midgard hill with the kids, family camping trips to Caycuse, Saratoga and Sproat Lake, and watching her kids, grandkids and great grandkids sporting events and various activities. When she had more time on her hands, she also enjoyed completing the daily crossword and Jumble, gardening, and later in life, playing golf. She continued to play golf into her 93^rd year. Dot enjoyed exceptionally good health except for the last few years of her life and for that she was incredibly grateful.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Victoria Red Cross, 909 Fairfield Road, Victoria, BC, V8V 3A3.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com