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June 14, 1938 - April 29, 2026

On April 29, 2026 at age 87, Mary Margaret Walsh (née Kerr) passed away peacefully, surrounded by those she loved. She is survived by her children Mike (Erin), Patti (Bruce), Alex/Sandy (Chris); and seven grandchildren Alex (Darian), Sara (Vince), Connor, Brenna, Riley, Ry and Eden. Her husband James Bruce Walsh predeceased her in 1995. Marg was born on Manitoulin Island in 1938 to loving parents, Bessie and Alec Kerr. Mary Marg, (as she was known locally) had had a very happy childhood growing up in Little Current. She loved sports and played on many teams, including as defensewoman for the high school hockey team. The Manitoulin was in her blood and she was fiercely proud of her status as a natural born “Haweater,” a fact she was quite happy to share with her non-Haweater friends and family. After high school, Marg followed her calling and travelled south to attend nursing school in Oshawa. She excelled in her studies and upon graduation was elected class Valedictorian. She maintained many lifelong friendships with her classmates and they continued to reunite in the decades that followed. Following graduation, Marg spent a short time working at Sick Kids Hospital until the call of the North lured her back. During that time, she made various nursing stops in Elliot Lake, Chapleau and finally back home to Little Current. Her favourite part of nursing was always “the babies.” She delivered many during her career; even one post-retirement when her granddaughter Eden was unexpectedly born at home. Nothing made her happier than welcoming a new grandchild or grandpuppy into her family. While working in Elliot Lake, Marg met Jim Walsh from Blind River, who soon became the love of her life. They married and raised three children, living in Toronto, Espanola and Chapleau along the way. After Jim’s retirement, they returned to the Manitoulin and purchased a beautiful home on the shore of the North Channel. Marg was then able to spend more time with her father as well as go fishing with Jim and their beloved springer spaniel, Molly. When not out on the lake, she spent hours digging, planting and weeding as she transformed the property into a gardening showcase. After both Jim and her father passed away in 1995, Marg stayed on the Island and set forth to recreate her life and make her home a haven where she could indulge her passions for gardening, cooking and socializing. She loved hosting her various friend groups; the White’s Point crew, the Garden Club, her cooking group and others. Her summers were dedicated to transforming her property into a summer vacation wonderland for her grandchildren to enjoy. “Camp Granny” featured a swim platform, canoe, pedal boat and other water toys for the kids to play with; a fire pit for cooking spider hot dogs and roasting the perfect marshmallow and a tree house for imaginative play on non-water days. On special occasions like Victoria Day, Canada Day and Haweater Weekend there were fireworks and music on the deck. She’d set up Connect Four tournaments, Go Fish games, Nintendo golf and bowling competitions with the grandchildren and later at night, card games with the adults. Marg loved to share her love of the Manitoulin with her family and, in doing so, made it their favourite place in the world as well. As she got older and the winter months on the lake became a bit tougher, Marg would load up her car and drive down to Toronto. She loved getting her “city fix” in the downtown condo she rented each winter. While there she hosted her grandchildren and friends and enjoyed many dinners, plays and of course, shopping at the nearby Eaton Centre - the staff at The Bay called her by name! However, by spring, the call of the North drew her back to her Manitoulin home. Wherever Marg went, she made new friends and kept most of them for life. She wished to thank everyone for the love, support and good times over the years. In particular, Sandra Guest, her best friend and “sister” of over 50 years who stood by her through many ups and downs. They travelled the world together – New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and Paris – and would regularly get together with Sandra and her husband Wayne to share birthdays, a few drinks and many laughs together. As Marg’s mobility decreased with age she had to make the hard decision to leave the Manitoulin and take up residence in Bolton, where she would be closer to family and no longer have to deal with climbing stairs or maintaining a large property. Once again, she made many more friends and integrated easily into her new community. Marg enjoyed all sports and would passionately root for the Toronto teams. She loved watching curling, the Olympics, the CFL, the NFL, the Kentucky Derby, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Blue Jays. Recently, the years of disappointment had become too much to bear and she sadly  decided to officially disown her Toronto Maple Leafs, except for her favourite, Morgan Rielly. Marg embraced life full-on, with enthusiasm, kindness and compassion and she made every day an adventure. She was a loving wife, a devoted mother, a doting grandmother, a caring nurse, a loyal friend and a great neighbour who will be dearly missed by all who knew her. At Marg’s request, there will be no funeral. Instead her request is as follows: “Please go for a walk and think of me. Please remember to feed the birds.” As a token of her thanks for the kind and respectful medical care she received in her final weeks, Marg requests that donations go to the Osler Hospital’s Acute Care of Elderly Wing.