Marie Blyth
Nov. 6, 1914 - July 23, 2005
Marie passed away peacefully on July 23, 2005 in Minto House at the Arrow Lakes Hospital. She was born in Birkenhead, England in 1914 and came to Canada with her parents and younger sister in 1920, and lived in Vancouver, Penticton, and Trail.
Marie taught in native rural schools of BC before marrying Dick Blyth in 1940 in Trail. Rossland was their home for the war years while her husband was employed on the work for the Manhatten Project in Trail.
Here they adopted their son Barry and after the release of Dick from his project work, the couple moved to St. Leon where they both worked with Ed Gates in his original restoration of “The Gates of St. Leon”. When it became apparent that this development was possibly going to be too long in coming to fruition, the couple moved to Nakusp, Dick’s former home. Here they took up residence and put down roots.
They built their first log home and added to their family by providing Barry with a big sister, Irene (Mrs. John Mar) who was 12 years old at the time.
From the beginning Mrs. Blyth was an enthusiastic resident of Nakusp, (where else would one wish to live), always close to her church, she taught Sunday School and was parish organist for many years during the time of “sung” masses and Friday Benedictions, the Nakusp choir, on occasion, travelling as far as Needles or Kaslo to sing at funerals.
After her children were through school, Marie returned to her first love, Teaching and she spent a further eleven years in the classroom before arthritis put a stop to it all and she took early retirement in 1972.
As a member of the Nakusp Drama Club for many years, she was active along with her husband. She attained life membership in the Hospital Auxiliary and was a supporter of the Alter Society.
She was a dedicated gardener and craft worker with many tooled leather products and examples of tooled copper art work to her credit.
She was predeceased by her husband Dick in December 1992 and her son Barry in June 2005. She leaves to mourn her passing her sister Connie Nicholson and daughter Irene Mar both of Victoria, her daughter-in-law Dianne Blyth of Prince Rupert, eleven grand children, 21 great grand children and 1 great—great grand child.