It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Margaret (Peggie) Vallillee, 99 years young, at Ajax Pickering Hospital, October 30th 2024 after a brief illness. Predeceased by her loving husband, Bruce Donald Vallillee (Val) in 2002, Bruce and Peg had over 51 years of wonderful marriage together.

Missing her dearly, Peg is survived by her brother Bryan Baxter (Calgary), whose weekly calls and frequent visits she cherished and predeceased by her brothers Norm, Ernie and Russ. Peg will be forever missed by her only child Shawn (Sue), her grandchildren Ryan (Jill) and Douglas (Emma) and her wonderful great grandchildren, Nathan and Chloe.

She will be missed by her extended Baxter family, the ladies of which kept in touch often and shared lunch together. Her wonderful friends in Grafton, ON with whom Peg and Bruce shared so many happy memories and her very supportive neighbours in Ajax who watched out for her and helped her in so many ways.

A special thank you to the Doctors and Nurses at Ajax Pickering.

Margaret (Peggie) Vallillee, was born July 21, 1925 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland to Norman and Margaret Baxter. Peg moved to Canada in 1929 and lived on Erskine Avenue in the Mount Pleasant – Eglinton area. When Peg was ten years old, the family welcomed her first brother Norm, followed by Ernie, Bryan and Russ. Peg played a key role in the early upbringing of her brothers and around the time she was sixteen - seventeen, she began work at General Electric in Toronto, hand winding filament coils for aircraft landing lights and searchlights to support the war effort.

In 1945, she met the love of her life Bruce, when he came home on leave from the RCAF in Vancouver with her girlfriends brother, Jack who was in the same squadron. During the week leave, he was introduced to Peg and after their first “date” he told Jack, that’s the girl I’m going to marry. Marry they did, on December 30th 1950. After their marriage they worked to help raise Peg’s brothers with Peg continuing to work at GE and Bruce working in various vocations including real estate and starting his own import business.

In 1956, they welcomed their only child, a son, Shawn into the world. They lived in the Bathurst and Eglinton area before purchasing a home in Don Mills in 1960, the first “suburb” community outside Toronto. Peg took great pride in their new home and as a stay at home Mom, spent countless hours supporting Shawn and his activities and hosting Friday night fun nights for all Shawn’s friends one Friday a month. With Bruce being very active in the electronics industry in Canada, Peg attended numerous conventions, volunteered and hosted many industry parties. After selling the home in Don Mills, Peg and Bruce built a new home in Grafton, ON and moved there to be embraced by new friends who welcomed them to the community and where countless happy memories were made. In 1984 they bought a new home in Ajax, ON and moved their where they remained happily together until Bruce’s sudden passing in 2002.

Fiercely independent, Peg decided to remain in the home by herself and enjoyed going to the Ajax Friendship Club with her friends, going to get her hair done every Friday, local shopping and a coffee or two at the local McDonalds. Just this year in July, Peg passed her driving test to secure her drivers license for another two years and this gave her great joy knowing that she had the freedom to come and go as she pleased. She took her daily walks around the neighbourhood, talked with her neighbours and became a source of inspiration to the people on the street.

Peg attended every family event and we most recently enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and dinner together.

Margaret (Peggie) Vallillee lived her life on her own terms and to the fullest. We are so very honoured to have had her in our lives and to have her with us for 99 years, 3 months and 9 days or 36,261 days or 5,180 weeks and 1 day. All incredible numbers for a long, long life well lived.

There will be a Celebration of Life at Mount Pleasant Cemetery at a future date once we have had the chance to discuss travel schedules with family members. An update will be posted here in due course. Flowers would be welcomed at the Celebration of Life or if you wish, a donation to a charity of your choice.

Margaret will be greatly missed and we are forever thankful to have shared our lives together.

MIZPAH