Margaret Ramsay: Celebrating a beautiful mind

Many of us at the University of Calgary remember and celebrate Margaret Ramsay, a remarkable person, a scholar, and most inspiring former student. She passed away on Jan. 18 at the age of 77.

Margaret grew up on the hills of Jumping Pound, Alta. As a child she rode her horse to a one-room school, enjoying an idyllic pastoral life until poliomyelitis struck Alberta in 1951. Margaret, like many other children, contracted the disease and spent months in the hospital with a meager prospect for the future.

During those difficult months of rehabilitation, Margaret decided that if her body was giving her difficulties, her mind was free to soar. Through immense physical struggles, Margaret continued to study and was soon accepted at the University of Stanford, completing a degree in history. She returned to Canada to earn a law degree from the University of Toronto and came home to Calgary to practice law, raise a family and publish.

Physical difficulties led to early retirement. Confined to a wheelchair, Margaret decided to expand her horizon by auditing 102 courses in the Faculty of Arts between 2001 and 2016.

A true humanist in the etymological sense of the word, Margaret believed in education and learning for the betterment of humankind. She was often found in the hallways surrounded by students who soon realized their older adult peer in the class was a fountain of knowledge and wisdom.

Her commitment to learning transpired when, with her scooter, she would attend classes while snowstorms kept most students away. Margaret would come to campus at unusual hours to attend seminars, presentations and concerts, supporting students and faculty alike, providing constructive criticism and much-needed words of inspiration. Her Virgilian mentorship will not be forgotten. Margaret leaves a legacy of perseverance, vision, creativity and unwavering courage.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband John, who taught in the Faculty of Law. She is survived by two daughters: Gillian Ramsay (Martin Baur), and Melissa Ramsay and grandchildren Sophia, Luke, Jacob and Jenna.

Maria Oss-Cech Chiacchia is an instructor in Continuing Education at the University of Calgary.