February 7, 1949 - April 22, 2019
Marilyne Eleanor McKay of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, born February 7, 1949 in Abbotsford to David and Eleanor (nee Davies) Logan, lived her life with humour and kindness. Previously married in 1966 to Stephen Swedberg which ended in divorce, she moved around a lot within Canada as a young woman until moving to Vancouver in 1973.
In 1974, Marilyne began working for BC Transit as one of the first female city bus drivers hired since WW2, loved her job and enjoyed the hundreds of thousands of passengers she carried over the years throughout Greater Vancouver and the camaraderie of the other bus drivers.
It was also in 1974 that Marilyne met her dearest friend and future husband Glen McKay (a transit driver) and they married on Valentine's Day 1979. They lived their lives with such devotion and love and laughter each and every day until his death in 2016.
So many things brought her joy, especially being married to her beloved Glen and being a mother to their precious daughter Stacey. When she became a Grandmother, she truly loved her grandsons Morgan and Owen.
Marilyne was diagnosed with 'Early Onset' Alzheimer's in 2003 and although the progress was slow, when she could no longer drive her buses she went on long-term leave until retirement from transit in 2014.
Marilyne lived with self-honesty for she knew that 'No one meets an Alzheimer's survivor - there simply are none'. As the disease started to progress, she didn't fear death nearly as much as the indignities of physical and especially mental deterioration. Marilyne continued living life to the fullest she could each and every day, although she also made hard decisions for herself and about herself.
Finally, while she was still capable of dying with dignity, Marilyne died as she wished, with courage and by her own hand on April 22nd in Maple Ridge, age 70.
If she was here to speak with us now, we are sure she would remind each of us to be patient with each other, say something kind to one another every day, laugh every day and hug, because hugging and being hugged back even harder is such a beautiful thing - and she'd ask us to smile about her life as it was a full and good one.
At Marilyne's request, her ashes will be joined with her beloved Glen's ashes and spread to the winds on a gentle sunny day.
Marilyne is survived by her precious daughter Stacey and loved son-in-law Derek Razzell and cherished grandsons Morgan and Owen Carmont. She is also survived by her dear step-grandchildren Austin, Dylan and Emily Razzell. In addition, she leaves her loved niece, Tamara (and Keith) Lee and their children Matthew and Lucy and her loved niece Nicole (and Eric) Janzen and their children Katherine and Claire; her brother Lynn Logan (and Brenda) and dear friends and other family members she cared so deeply for.
Marilyne was pre-deceased by her parents, her 3 year old son Sterling Christopher Swedberg; half-sister Margaret Behrns (nee Logan) and half-brother Ross Logan.