MARGARET ANN MARIE KEWLEY
(nee Omnet)
August 17, 1936 – September 12, 2024
Margaret Ann Marie Kewley (nee Omnet), passed away in her 88th year at the Manitoulin Centennial Manor, Little Current on Thursday, September 12, 2024. Marie is survived by her brother Jack Omnet and sister Kathy Omnet, both of Little Current; her children Luanne (Paul), Jamie (Lissa) and Bill ( Brenda). Marie leaves her beloved grandchildren Melissa, Adam and Kerry Parrett, and Evan Kewley. Marie also leaves four great-grandchildren Bianca, Brooks, Baya and Levi. Born in Little Current, to Colin and Gladys Omnet (deceased), Marie had a great love for Manitoulin Island and took pride in being a Haweater. Even as a child, Marie was family-oriented and loved to spend time with her grandparents Albert and Maryanne Bond, whom she called Dad Bond and Ma Bond. As a child and a teenager, Marie spent many happy hours skating at the Little Current arena. She was a keen figure skater and competed in many figure skating events on Manitoulin and the North Shore area. Marie had a love of the outdoors her whole life and enjoyed walking the bush surrounding her childhood home, summer days swimming at Low Island and going to Providence Bay anytime her “Pa” fired up the Model T and took a trip out that way. As a girl and young teen, Marie was active in the Girls’ Auxiliary known as the GA at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Little Current. Marie began her work life as a switchboard operator for Manitoulin Telephone. She first worked at the telephone office above Turner’s store in Little Current and later at the telephone office on Meredith Street. Around the same time, with her income as an operator, she and her brother Bill Omnet (deceased) acquired a car they shared. That car was steadily employed in transporting them to the many dances, parties and other social events that occurred around the Island in the 1950s .In the mid 1950s, Marie met her future husband Hal Kewley (deceased) at one of those Island dances. Married to Hal on April 22, 1956, the couple moved to Preston (now known as Cambridge, Ontario) with their toddler daughter Luanne in 1960. Marie and Hal’s two boys, Jamie and Bill were both born in Preston. Initially Marie found it very difficult living so far away from the Island, but over time put down solid roots on Sherring Street, Preston. Sherring Street was full of young families and Marie made many lifelong supportive friends during those years. She joined the Women’s Auxiliary at St. John’s Anglican Church, Preston, where she enjoyed volunteering as a Sunday School teacher. In 1968, Marie and Hal and their family relocated to Bracebridge which at first had, for Marie, the attraction of being that much closer to Manitoulin! Marie settled into Bracebridge by becoming active in St. Thomas Anglican Church as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Women’s Auxiliary. Building a home outside of town on “Santa’s Village Road,” Bracebridge gave Marie great access to the outdoors. She loved walking in the bush behind their home, and cross country skiing on trails that extended across the Schole, and Nickels property into what was once known as the old turkey farm. Marie spent summers with her children and later grandchildren swimming in the Muskoka River or Lake Muskoka at both Kirby’s and Bowyer’s Beach. Marie loved to garden and each year had a large vegetable garden in which she took pride. Marie put her years as an operator for Manitoulin Telephone to good use when she worked 15 years for Muskoka Telephone Answering Service in Bracebridge. In their retirement years Marie and Hal built a small home in Little Current with the intention of moving back to the Island full time. However, when it came to making the move, Marie realized the depth of the roots she had planted in Bracebridge, so the decision was made for Marie and Hal to split their time between Manitoulin and Bracebridge. Both Marie and Hal enjoyed their long summers and early falls on the Island, returning to Bracebridge every Thanksgiving. Marie will be remembered for her love of family, her heavy duty reading habit, her enjoyment of her TVO English mysteries, the solace that nature gave her and her lifelong love of Manitoulin. Services will be held for Marie at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Little Current on Friday, September 27, 2024 at 2 pm.
