Obituary of Margaret Isabel Farrell

With profound sadness and loss, the family of Margaret Farrell announce her passing on Friday June 6th, 2025, at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital. Our family matriarch, and dearest Nana, is joining her husband of 62 years, Finley, in a place where their deep faith and love continues to thrive.

Margaret was born to John D. and Elizabeth (Burns) MacDonald and raised in Caledonia Mills, Antigonish County. She attended Mount St. Bernard for her grade 12 and went on to Nova Scotia Normal College for teaching studies, cementing her strong belief in education. Her teaching career commenced at the one-room Post Road School, but continued throughout her lifetime to include Sewing and Pattern Design courses with Antigonish Continuing Education and StFXU Home Economics Dept, textile studies. She committed her skills to a literacy program, sacramental preparation classes, and mentoring for Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Margie modelled her life lessons and set a wonderful example for her family. She was at Finley’s side, be it at a dance, a cottage build, a bowling league, travelling our beautiful Canada, coast to coast, much of the Caribbean, Alaska and Australia. She worked countless hours alongside her husband at Home Bakery, as well as volunteering for spiritual, social and political endeavours that were so important to her including Eucharistic Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Parkinson’s Society.

Mom was most in her element when her small Cove cottage was overflowing with children and grandchildren. She always did more, with less, and managed to care for and feed a crowd, forever encouraging additional loved ones and friends to squeeze in. She kept bellies full with her famous biscuits, and insides warm with her homemade wine. Margie’s home was always open for company and she fed many of her children and grandchildren’s friends, and an abundant number of StFX students, over the years.

Margaret is survived by her children David (Darlene), Kathleen (Michael Lynch), Trish (Mike Hassin), Dan (Lee), Michael (Sarah), Laureen (Paul Boyd) and Sean (Anna). Nana is forever in the hearts of her grandchildren Brianne and Grant Farrell, Kelsey, Hayley and Shannon Lynch, Leah and Tara Hassin, Sean and Cory Farrell, Kevin, Joey, Jenna and Kennedy Farrell, Kaylyn, Laura and Myrie Boyd, Kasia, Erica and Connor Farrell, and her 15 great-grandchildren.

Margaret is also survived by her brother-in-law, Donald Hall, and numerous nieces and nephews from the MacDonald, Farrell, Sanford, Hall and Delaney families, and special god-daughter Catherine Hughes.

Margaret was pre-deceased by her husband, Finley, sons Kevin and Joseph (in infancy), her brother Lawrence MacDonald, her half-brother Jackie Bellam, sisters-in-law Catherine MacDonald, Leola Farrell, Josephine Kraftchik, Cecelia Sanford, Delores Hall and Gloria Delaney, and brother-in-law, Archibald Farrell.

Margie’s family wishes to acknowledge the compassionate, dignified care she received at Mary’s Court/Parkland, the attentive staff at The Maples and St. Martha’s Hospital, as well as Doctors Howard and MacKenna. We are all immensely grateful to Darlene Farrell for the assistance, guidance and love she provided to Mom and the family.

Visitation 4-7 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in MacIsaac Funeral Home, 61 Pleasant St., Antigonish. Funeral Mass 1:00 PM Thursday, June 12, 2025, at St Ninian’s Cathedral, Rev. Dan MacLennan presiding. Burial in the parish cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may me made to St Vincent de Paul or St. Martha’s Hospital Foundation.