Margaret M. Walsh MAIS, FHCIMA, CHA
Born: August 30, 1958, St. Helens, Lancashire, UK
Died: July 7, 2023, Calgary, Alberta
After a two-year battle with cancer, Margaret passed away surrounded by family at Foothills Hospital.
Margaret will be remembered as a smart, loving mother, wife, mentor, and academic with one of the
biggest, most beautiful smiles in the world.
A hotel school graduate from the UK, Margaret won the CLEGG Award for highest academic scores in
her program. She met her husband Robert, whom she was married to for 44 years, at college and moved
to Canada in 1979 to start her family and career.
She spent her first nine years in Winnipeg first as Sales Manager, followed by Front Office Manager at
The Fort Garry Hotel, then as Assistant Director of the Health Sciences Centre in the housekeeping and
services division. In 1988 Margaret and her family moved to Calgary where she started a 35-year career
at SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism. As Academic Chair of the program, Margaret successfully
developed the school’s Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management degree program. Margaret
improved the hotel school’s international rankings.
Her passion for horses led her to enjoy annual trips to Spruce Meadows and the Calgary Stampede. She
loved “GLAMping” in the mountains and BC Interior. She also had a wonderful appreciation for fine wine
and foods.
Margaret is survived by her husband Robert, daughters Angela and Kirsten (son-in-law Troy Davies),
grandson Dashton, sisters Angela and Stephanie in the UK, and brother Joe in Australia.
Her family would like to thank the GYN/ONC team of Dr. Sarah Glaze, the Palliative Care team with Dr.
Jacqueline Carverhill, and everyone working on unit 42 at Foothills Hospital.
A special shout out to all Albertans who built one of the finest health care systems in the world!