MARGARET RICHARDS, of Coaldale passed away peacefully at the Chinook Regional Hospital on Sunday, August 12^th, following a brief illness. She was two weeks away from her 89th birthday.

Margaret is survived by her husband of 63 years, Tom Richards; as well as their children Jean (Ken) Mackintosh and Harley (Jackie May) Richards; grandchildren Laura (Mark) Fast, Logan Mackintosh, Alison (Clayton) Varjassy, Tuscany Richards, Sterling Richards and Autumn Richards; and great-granddaughter Maisie Fast.

Margaret was born in Vancouver on Aug. 24, 1929 to Harley and Muriel Brown. As a young woman she embarked with a friend on a working trip that took them through Whitehorse, Edmonton and eventually Lethbridge. It was here that Margaret met Tom, a young farmer living east of Coaldale. The couple married on Nov. 14, 1955, and Margaret gave up her big-city heritage for life in the country, spending nearly 35 years on a mixed farm northeast of Tempest. She and Tom moved to Coaldale in 1989, remaining there for most of Margaret's last years.

Always young at heart, Margaret embraced computer technology. She produced store-quality greeting cards, enjoyed watching Netflix on her iPad, and went through a couple of iPhones. Recent injuries and illnesses slowed her a bit, but Margaret refused to be waited on or catered to. She continued to manage her household, maintain the books for her and Tom's farm corporation, and remember and acknowledge the birthdays and anniversaries of family and friends.

In accordance with Margaret's wishes, her immediate family will celebrate her life at a private gathering. They respectfully decline flowers, but encourage anyone wishing to memorialize Margaret to do so through a donation to the Lethbridge and District Humane Society at 2920 16th Ave. N., Lethbridge, Alta., T1H 5E9; 403-320-8991; pets4you2@hotmail.com.