Margaret Trehearne (née Mackay) always spoke well of her time at UBC. She focused on animal husbandry, and supporting areas including field crops, poultry, and genetics. Although born and raised in the city, she felt this was knowledge she could use to benefit the larger community.

After graduation, she taught with the UBC Extension Department, which held courses in rural areas throughout the province. Travel to Dawson Creek following the flood of 1948 was an adventure! She was involved in the Youth Training program at UBC, where she met her future husband, Dick.

Together on his family farm near Princeton, they raised grass-fed beef. She learned the many skills needed – driving a team of horses, and later a tractor; putting up hay; keeping chickens safe from coyotes; and doing field work on cold days. It was not uncommon to see her poring over her university texts in the evening, by lamplight in early days, to consider how to improve the nutrition of the stock or consider what varieties of crops would do best. She enjoyed keeping in touch with experts in related areas, such as weed control and range management.

She enjoyed gardening, initially to provide food for the family, and later to include colorful flowers spanning the entire growing season. When she and Dick moved from the ranch, she was able to pursue several interests, including rosemaling, volunteering with the Hospital Auxiliary and travelling. From the time of her marriage, she was enchanted by the wildflowers of the Interior, and was always happy to identify different species she encountered around BC.

Margaret was a lifelong learner, for nearly 95 years. She was fascinated with genetics, Viking history, etymology, and so many other topics. She did not embrace the Internet, but was a frequent visitor to the library and enjoyed discussing questions with old friends and new.

Predeceased by her husband in 2009, Margaret died peacefully October 14, 2020. She is survived by her son, Ian and daughter Cathy Sendecki, (BSN’85), and extended family.