Margaret Bernard Begin

1931 - 2010

Margaret Bernard Begin, age 79, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 27, 2010 at St. Johns Hospital, Oxnard with her children at her side.

She is survived by her five children, Sandy Forgey of La Canada, Calif., Scott Begin of Bakersfield, Calif., Captain Robert Begin of Key West, Fla., Sue Hann of Dana Point, Calif., and Cindy Cnop of Altadena, Calif. She is also survived by nine grandchildren.

Margaret was born Aug. 25, 1931 in Detroit, Mich., to Antonia Bernard and Linton E. Whaley. She spent most of her childhood in the San Gabriel Valley, primarily in Alhambra and Monrovia. She lived for a short while, during WWII, in Santa Barbara. She graduated from Alhambra High School and went on to obtain her Associate Arts Degree from Pasadena City College as well as a Business Degree from Santa Barbara Business College.

Margaret was married to Leon (Lee) Francis Begin, Jr. for 31 years until his death in 1983. They raised their family in Pasadena, Calif. She was a dedicated homemaker who managed the household while Lee worked at the Northrop Corporation as an aircraft designer. Margaret never remarried and remained lovingly devoted to Lee until her death. Margaret has been a resident of Port Hueneme for the past 30 years.

She loved the people that lived near her in the beach community of Surfside. She enjoyed walking her cocker spaniel, Bailey, and conversing with her kind neighbors. As a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend Margaret had a generous heart and truly cared for each individual she met. She was a creative seamstress and enjoyed making clothes for her grandchildren. She always had a passion for gardening and turned the balconies of her oceanfront home into a flowering paradise. Margaret will be forever in our hearts and her memory will remind us to always do our best, live each day to its fullest and to treat everyone with respect. She will be deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Arthritis Foundation, Southern California Chapter, 800 West Sixth Street, Suite 1250, Los Angeles, CA 90017-2721, 1-800-954-2873, or Hueneme Beautiful Inc., P.O. Box 304, Port Hueneme, CA 93044-0304, 805-986-9271.

A celebration of Margarets life will be held at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 3 at the Hueneme Beach Pier. A reception at the Surfside IV Community Center will follow. Channel Islands, Cremations, A Heritage Life Tribute Center, Ventura, is assisting the family with the arrangements.