Wife, educator, volunteer. Born Oct. 30, 1942, in Montreal. Died Aug. 8 in Montreal of cancer, aged 67.
Marjorie Gawley's dream of attending university ran into a snag when she learned that her father could not afford her postsecondary education. A summer job and a scholarship to teachers' college took care of that problem. Armed with her teaching certificate, she started her career in the classroom at 16.
As her middle name indicated, Marjorie was born at dawn. She was the oldest of two children of Marjorie McInnes Cooper and Robert Cooper.
For the first 11 years of her life, Marjorie lived on the second floor of a duplex in the Villeray area of Montreal. The neighbourhood was largely French, so Marjorie grew up speaking French and English.
While teaching elementary school, Marjorie attended night school to obtain a university degree. Sir George Williams University, now Concordia University, was the only institution that would allow her to take courses at night. Marjorie was always grateful to Concordia for her career in education that ended in 1998, and set up an endowment bursary in her mother's name.
Marjorie taught elementary school (including a stint in Toronto), secondary-school English and math, and English at Concordia. She also worked for the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec. In her honour, the Association of Teachers of English of Quebec created the Marjorie Gawley Award for deserving English-language arts graduates.
But the highlight of her educational career was meeting David Gawley. Her mother was delighted, but Marjorie pronounced that she would never marry a teacher. Fortunately, David decided that teaching was not for him and left the profession. Marjorie and David married in 1964.
Not one to rest on her laurels, upon retirement Marjorie joined the volunteer association of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; she held many positions, including co-president of the association. She was also chairwoman of the board of the Westmount Public Library.
Marjorie and David were avid travellers and loved to dance. They visited their beloved France almost yearly for 25 years, their last trip just three months before Marjorie's death.
In 1979, Marjorie fought bladder cancer. Over the years cancer continued to reappear, but she remained active and positive. When it became obvious that her heroic 30-year battle was coming to an end, she announced that she would go out dancing. She attended two balls in May.
Marjorie was greatly intrigued when she saw a video of the famous racehorse Zenyatta "dancing." Thanks to a friend who made a request on behalf of the English teaching community of Quebec, on Nov. 6, Zenyatta went to the post in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic carrying Marjorie's name on her bridle.
Marjorie went out dancing, of that there is no doubt. And we who are left have empty dance cards and a void in our hearts.
By Lorne Brown, Marjorie's friend.