Marion Ruth Magee

Marion Ruth Magee passed away peacefully on July 2, 2026, just eight days after celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends. She is survived by her sons, Dan Magee and Peter Magee, her grandchildren, Owen, Blaire, Cameron, and Jonathan and sisters-in-law Betty Smith and Joan Randall and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 74 years, “Bud” (George) Magee, eldest son Stephen Magee, sister Joan Dempsey (Ron) and brothers Art Randall (Eleanor) and Bob Randall. Born in Moncton, New Brunswick on June 24, 1926, Ruth was the daughter of the late Lester and Marion (Coleman) Randall. Ruth’s early years were during the Great Depression. She attended Moncton High School and then Secretarial School.

She loved horseback riding, and she and her brother Bob had their own horses at the family home in Moncton. Ruth met Bud, who was visiting from Ottawa, and after a one year, long distance courtship they were married in 1949. They moved into their new home, built by Bud, in the wonderful veteran’s neighbourhood of Carleton Heights, where she lived for 71 years.

Ruth was a working mother, somewhat unusual for her time, as a secretary in the insurance industry and later as an executive assistant at the Ottawa Neighbourhood Services where she helped many people along the way. She also worked tirelessly on fundraising with other committed parents through the United Commercial Travelers for the former Rideau Regional Hospital School, helping to build projects that improved the lives of children with extra and special needs.

Ruth loved to camp and there were many weekend trips to Algonquin Park and a summer vacation across Canada to the west coast pulling a tent trailer. While camping at Brule Point on the North Shore of Nova Scotia one summer, a storm blew one of the tents into the bay, resulting in the building of a cottage at Brule Point the following summer, one of the great joys of her life. Her sister Joan and her husband, Ron, and their kids had a cottage on the same shore and together they formed a gathering place for other family members, providing fun-filled summers for 25 years.

Ruth and Bud were able to drive to the Maritimes from Ottawa into their eighties and flew or took the train after that. Ruth also took up cross country skiing in her later years and went on weekend ski trips with her girlfriends.

Ruth was warm, kind and caring and always provided positive encouragement to her children, and as a result, they always felt loved and safe. She went through life with grace and wit. Ruth was strong, fiercely independent, had great self-confidence, and was not afraid to stand up for herself. She was ahead of her time. She was a great storyteller and loved to have fun, making friends wherever she went or worked. 

She will be dearly missed.

In keeping with Ruth's wishes there will be a small private service in the coming days. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Total Communication Environment (TCE).