Margaret Isabel LITTLE

1925 - 2021

MARGARET ISABEL LITTLE (nee MacLean) Passed away peacefully on April 9, 2021, surrounded by her four loving sons. She was 96. Predeceased by her beloved husband of 70 years, Wallace Little, and survived by her sons John (Carol), Tom (Pat), Robert (Linda), James (Linda), her grandchildren Anna (Nao), Alexandra, James, Christopher, Katherine (Alex), Stephen, Alison (John), Derek, Peter, Danielle, Ryan and great-grandchildren Charles, Hannah, Max and Aaron. Born in Alliston on March 28, 1925, the only child of the late Ralph Alexander Charles MacLean, KC, and Sarah Isabel Mitchell MacLean, she attended the University of Toronto where she studied Greek and Latin. During the war, at her mother's insistence ('Stop moping around the house'), she attended a community dance where she met Wallace Little, whom she described as 'an attractive young second-lieutenant who had come roaring down from Camp Borden on the back of a big Harley-Davidson.' It was the beginning of a deep and abiding love affair that not even Wallace's death, 75 years later, could extinguish. They were married in 1949 and moved to a log cabin on the bank of the Humber River in Woodbridge. Moving just down the street to a large property that had been part of the family farm, they raised four boys and various dogs in an idyllic rural setting. Isabel had been an accomplished scholar, but like many women of her generation, she put aside a career outside the home to nurture and guide her family. It was an occupation she was proud of and one she performed with humour, grace and a kind heart. She was active in her church and her community, particularly with the local library, which was then housed in the former Woodbridge jail. For years, she brought home boxes of books for her boys to read to determine which should be placed in Boys Juvenile Fiction. As Chair of the library board, she oversaw the opening of Woodbridge's first real library. She spent many peaceful hours working in her sprawling flower beds and her property was a riot of colour in the summer. She could often be found sitting in her backyard with Wallace, a cup of tea in hand and a dog at her feet. In the summer of 1966, using a legacy from her mother, she and Wallace purchased the Wyldewood cottage on Lake Muskoka and spent many happy years there with their children and grandchildren. Isabel had a quiet but unshakeable faith that allowed her to accept the challenges of aging with dignity and serenity. Throughout her life, she led her family by example and was the rock upon which Wallace and her four boys built their lives. She will be much missed. A special thanks to the staff at Briton House, particularly Hilaria and Elaine, for their kindness to Isabel. Due to COVID-19, a private family service will be held. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Christ Church Woodbridge or another charity of your choice. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help : Psalm 121 King James Version.