Margaret Billings

Margaret (Marg) Billings (Wellburn), 90, of Victoria, BC passed away peacefully on January 11, 2024.

Marg was born February 12, 1933 to Tom Wellburn and Jean Wellburn (Hepburn) in Victoria, BC. She spent her early childhood years in several smaller sawmill communities on Vancouver Island including Leechtown, Port Tahsis, Red Gap (Nanoose Bay), Nanaimo and Duncan before returning to Victoria where she graduated from Mt View High School in 1950. Some of her small town schools were one classroom affairs where multiple grade levels were taught by a single teacher. She was always proud to say she skipped grade 4 as she was able to work ahead in this tiny classroom situation.

Marg was married to Harvey Billings in Victoria in 1952 where their first child Les was born. They moved to Alert Bay in 1954 where they had their second child Ray before moving to Courtenay in 1956 where their third and final child Karen was born one year later. They purchased a small house on a wooded acre and lived in a neighbourhood where everybody knew everybody and everybody had kids of a similar age. As a family they tended a large vegetable garden, raised chickens and pheasants and enjoyed their small town life. The family then moved to Nanaimo in 1963 but shortly afterwards had to move to Victoria as Harvey was hospitalized with Hodgkin’s Disease. He died in 1964 at age 35 leaving Margaret to raise her 3 young children aged 7, 9 and 11 on her own.

Marg quickly retrained as a clerk stenographer and went on to work for the Fish and Wildlife Branch and later the Royal BC Museum where she became the Museum Director’s secretary. She enjoyed and spoke highly of working at both these locations. She retired in 1993.

Marg has hiked many of the trails on southern Vancouver Island and also in Washington State, her favorite being Mt. Rainier, painted extensively, enjoyed several overseas trips with family and friends, loved to buy birthday and other gifts for her growing family and enjoyed her daily and often twice daily walks around her neighbourhood. She loved animals and particularly dogs and they liked her.

Marg was predeceased by both her parents and her brother Jack. She is survived by her sister June Fletcher and her three children, Les (Betty), Ray (Sue) and Karen Gordon (Don). She also leaves behind 5 grandchildren (Danielle, Laura, Jessica, Sean, Alex) and 6 great-grandchildren (Maya, Emma, Eric, Kyle, Chantelle, Ailish). She will be sadly missed by us all.

Flowers are gratefully declined.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, May 24. 2024 at 2:00 PM at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Road, Victoria, BC in the Couvelier Pavilion. Feel free to wear colorful clothing in memory of Moms appreciation of the beauty of color. Following the Celebration guests are welcome to wander the paths of the gardens.