May 14, 1942 – April 26, 2025
Maralyn was always saying “remember who loves you” to Sverre, her husband of 65 years, to her “chickens” Tarra Kongsrude and Leah Kongsrude, and to “grandma’s darlings” Halle Jackson and Rykkar Jackson.
Maralyn was born in Trail BC and grew up in the Osoyoos/Oliver area with her mom and eight siblings. At 17 she headed to Jasper AB to waitress for the summer. There she met Sverre who was driving snowmobiles at the Columbia Icefield. They soon married and had two adorable girls who lived with them at the Icefields and Maligne Lake during the summers. After 8 years the family moved to Kamloops BC. Maralyn was smart and valued education, so when her girls started school, she got a college diploma in business administration. Another 8 years later, they moved to Edmonton AB for career opportunities. Maralyn was excited to be trained as a federal Customs and Excise Officer in the commercial imports division. During her 20-year career, she was particularly proud of her Customs role in implementing the new North American Free Trade Agreement. She made some good friends at work and joined their curling team. Of course, she was also a big Oilers hockey fan during their 80’s heyday.
Maralyn was usually practical and hard-working, but she was also willing to take risks to pursue a dream. This meant when her girl’s graduated from their respective university Master’s programs, Maralyn took a work sabbatical and joined them on a six-month backpack trip around the world (long before the internet or cell phones). Armed only with a guidebook and traveller’s cheques, they flew over glaciers in New Zealand, camped in the Australian outback, got sunburned to a crisp in Fiji, and relaxed on the white sand beaches of Koi Samui. They also visited the many wonders of Rome at sun rise, walked the old walls around Jerusalem, and fell in love with the Greek islands. This shared travel bug continued when the three women later took trips together on their home continent.
Leah got married in Jasper AB and had daughter Halle and son Rykkar. Being a grandma was Maralyn’s biggest joy and she took early retirement so she could do it full time. Soon the new grandparents and grandkids were living close together in St. Albert AB. Maralyn cooked family dinners every Saturday for her “chickens” and “darlings”, sewed her grandkids’ Halloween outfits, and willingly attended every school concert from K-12. When her grandkids moved away for university, Maralyn still found joy in reading a book a day, spoiling her cat, tracing her maternal family Acadian roots, nurturing her flower garden, cursing “idiot politicians”, and watching the local wildlife in her back yard.
As time passed, Maralyn and Sverre slowed down and regularly spent Saturday afternoons reminiscing on the porch with their retired daughters. When Maralyn’s health declined Sverre took good care of her at home. Eventually, Maralyn needed full time support in a nearby hospice for a mix of medical conditions. There she was able to truly enjoy her final months visiting with her family, eating desserts for dinner, as well as delighting in antics of the birds and squirrels from her comfy chair by a sunny window. Her opinion of politicians didn’t improve though.
Maralyn (82) believed we find peace and serenity when we leave this world. So, she passed away gently with her family by her side. She will be greatly missed by everyone who loved her and was loved by her.
Maralyn was pre-deceased by her mom Mabel; her brothers James, Bill and Sam; and her sisters Dorothy, Patsy, and Judy. She is survived by her brother Jim Vaughan (Connie), her sister Mona Ronald (Phil) and her brother-in-law Garfield Kongsrud.
There will be no formal service or memorial as she wished.
Maralyn’s family would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Pungur-Farrell and the staff at Foyer Lacombe hospice for their excellent care and kindness. In lieu of cards or flowers, please consider a donation in Maralyn’s name to the St. Albert-Sturgeon Hospice Association (SASHA) which supports volunteer activities for the hospice.
