Obituary for Maureen Carpenter
Maureen Carpenter
June 18, 1938 - November 10, 2021
Maureen died peacefully at the Civic Hospital on November 10, aged 83, having been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in early summer. As her illness progressed, she retained her strong spirit, remaining at home until the day before she died. Born to Haydn and Alma Allen (Purcell) in Rhondda, Wales, her formative years were spent in nearby Cardiff. Her father was a gifted musician, playing clarinet and saxophone. Her mother was a versatile pianist; musical evenings at home were frequent and Maureen played piano from an early age.
After high school she became a public servant, later meeting her devoted future husband Graham at a community dance. They were married in 1963. He was a graduate student who, after completing his Ph.D., gained a Post-doctoral Fellowship at Cambridge for 3 years. A joint sense of adventure led them to Canada in 1967 where Graham worked at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories. Soon after, Maureen joined the personnel department at the laboratories. She was later admitted to Carleton University in a Masters program, graduating in 1982. They moved to Ottawa in 1981 where Maureen worked for twenty years on the development of national mortality and cancer data files at Statistics Canada, retiring in 2002.
The 14 years spent living in Deep River were life changing. She and Graham joined the local Choral Society, singing major oratorios and taking part in Broadway musicals. They skied in winter, sailed and played tennis in summer. In Ottawa, Maureen joined the Ottawa Choral Society (OCS) in 1983 and continued as an active member helping organize their overseas tours until the Pandemic halted activities. She was an active supporter of Canadian Amateur Musicians (CAMMAC), helping organize “Come Sing Messiah” for many years.
Maureen is greatly missed by her husband Graham, brothers-in-law Bryan Gough and David Carpenter (Julie Broadbent), nephew Andrew Gough (Marsha, and son Joshua), cousin Geoffrey Allen (Cherry) and relatives in the north of England. She was pre-deceased by her beloved younger sister, Margaret Gough.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the many friends and health workers for support during her illness. In accordance with her wishes, her ashes will be re-located at Cardiff Thornhill Cemetery (Wales). A musical celebration of her life is planned for the New Year. Donations are welcomed for the ALS Society or the OCS.
June 18, 1938 - November 10, 2021
Maureen died peacefully at the Civic Hospital on November 10, aged 83, having been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in early summer. As her illness progressed, she retained her strong spirit, remaining at home until the day before she died. Born to Haydn and Alma Allen (Purcell) in Rhondda, Wales, her formative years were spent in nearby Cardiff. Her father was a gifted musician, playing clarinet and saxophone. Her mother was a versatile pianist; musical evenings at home were frequent and Maureen played piano from an early age.
After high school she became a public servant, later meeting her devoted future husband Graham at a community dance. They were married in 1963. He was a graduate student who, after completing his Ph.D., gained a Post-doctoral Fellowship at Cambridge for 3 years. A joint sense of adventure led them to Canada in 1967 where Graham worked at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories. Soon after, Maureen joined the personnel department at the laboratories. She was later admitted to Carleton University in a Masters program, graduating in 1982. They moved to Ottawa in 1981 where Maureen worked for twenty years on the development of national mortality and cancer data files at Statistics Canada, retiring in 2002.
The 14 years spent living in Deep River were life changing. She and Graham joined the local Choral Society, singing major oratorios and taking part in Broadway musicals. They skied in winter, sailed and played tennis in summer. In Ottawa, Maureen joined the Ottawa Choral Society (OCS) in 1983 and continued as an active member helping organize their overseas tours until the Pandemic halted activities. She was an active supporter of Canadian Amateur Musicians (CAMMAC), helping organize “Come Sing Messiah” for many years.
Maureen is greatly missed by her husband Graham, brothers-in-law Bryan Gough and David Carpenter (Julie Broadbent), nephew Andrew Gough (Marsha, and son Joshua), cousin Geoffrey Allen (Cherry) and relatives in the north of England. She was pre-deceased by her beloved younger sister, Margaret Gough.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the many friends and health workers for support during her illness. In accordance with her wishes, her ashes will be re-located at Cardiff Thornhill Cemetery (Wales). A musical celebration of her life is planned for the New Year. Donations are welcomed for the ALS Society or the OCS.