Margaret Rhodes

Passed away at the Lodge at Broadmead after a bout with pneumonia on July 28, 2010. Margaret was born in New Westminster, BC on September 24, 1922 and adopted soon after birth by the Billyeald family. Predeceased by her first husband, Dean in 1979 and her second husband, Peter Van Dyke in 1998. She was also predeceased by her brother, Joe Billyeald in October 2008. Margaret is survived by her sons, Dana (Colleen); grandsons, Morgan, Christopher and Chase; son, Darrell (Kathy); grandsons, Matthew, Tom and granddaughter, Shelley. She grew up in North Vancouver and Kitsilano area, graduating from Kitsilano High in 1940. She attended business college and later enlisted in W.A.F. deploying to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to become an air traffic controller. After the war, she met Dean and they were married in 1948 and moved to Bowen Island where she had her two sons. In 1956, she and her husband moved back to Vancouver, where she started her career as a legal secretary. Dean was promoted in 1958 to a management position in Fort St. John and Margaret followed with the boys to continue her career. It was during this time that she reconnected with her biological family, the Neilsen family. She was the last surviving member of six siblings. In 1960, Dean took a new position with a company in Edmonton, Alberta and Margaret also continued on with her career in Edmonton. In 1972, Dean was asked to move to Victoria to take up another position with an old colleague and again the family moved. In 1983, Margaret retired from her last position at Van Cuylenborg and Gray and married Peter in 1986. Peter and Margaret enjoyed travelling all over the world, dancing and winters in Arizona, until his passing in 1998. She spent the next seven years with her son, Dana in his home in Cordova Bay until she broke her hip in 2005. She eventually moved to Oak Bay Lodge until 2006 when she obtained a placement at the Lodge at Broadmead. Many thanks from the family to the care team on Lodge A2 at the Lodge at Broadmead.

A Memorial Service was held at the Lodge at Broadmead. A Celebration of Life may take place near the end of September. In lieu of flowers, donations, in Margaret memory would be appreciated to the Canadian Diabetes Association, #276 – 2950 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4N4. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com.