Margaret Elizabeth Hilda Butler

March 1937, Englehart, ON - December 2025, Saskatoon, SK

Margaret Butler slipped away after a brief stay at Royal University Hospital.

She will be deeply missed by her family: sons, John (Jeanie), Michael; grandchildren, Sarah, Madigan, and Keeghan. She will be especially missed by her brother, Gordon (Margaret); and her beloved niece, Barb Cook. Margaret is predeceased by her brothers, George and Harvey, as well as by her husband, Doug Butler (d 1995) who was the love of her life; and her niece, Debbra Ham.

Two of Margaret’s greatest loves were music and her church community. She combined these two loves in service to the Church when she became an organist at 16. During her career, she played for many weddings, funerals, and baptisms and received gifts of recognition for her service from pastors and grateful congregants. Margaret also loved the piano and offered lessons to many children in Englehart. Margaret was not only talented, kind, and compassionate, she was also courageous.

At 76, she left the place where she’d lived her entire life to head west and make her home in Saskatoon. Here she made friends at All Saints Anglican and at Christ Church Anglican and through her volunteer work at Persephone Theatre. Margaret found joy in her worship, and she loved the lively, musical community she found at Christ Church. Margaret broke her hip in October 2023 and moved into a personal care home.

While she was diligently cared for at the home, Margaret struggled with dementia and could no longer attend church which she felt as a great loss in her life. In the past year, her chief joy in life was going for drives and enjoying Saskatoon’s scenery. One of her last joys was seeing her grandson, Keeghan, who kept vigil at her bedside until the end.

The family is grateful to the caregivers at Cedar Gardens, Saskatoon for their kind and competent care; to the hospital staff, Fifth Floor, Royal University Hospital for their kind and experienced care for both Margaret and her family, and to Pastor Mark Kleiner for his spiritual care and kind visits.

There will be a service to celebrate Margaret’s life on Friday, June 5, 2026, at Christ Church (312 Greenwood Avenue, North Bay, Ontario). The funeral service will be conducted by Archdeacon Joan Locke at 11:00 a.m. with luncheon to follow at the church.

Margaret will be interred in Callander, Ontario with her husband, Doug. Arrangements entrusted to Martyn Funeral Home.