Our dear friend and loyal Rotarian Margaret Trainor passed away on Saturday, 3rd January 2026, at the age of 68. She adored her family and especially lit up when speaking of her grandchildren. She was an active Rotarian for 28 years in all, holding many leadership and support roles over the years at both club and district levels. She was particularly passionate about Rotary's global project to end polio, and Rotary's local project to eradicate human trafficking. More recently, she was keen to support Guelph's new facility for children in foster care. A Celebration of Margaret's Life will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 4pm at the ICC. Please RSVP via Facebook at this link.
READ MORE ABOUT MARGARET
Story about part of Margaret's career (she had several careers!)
Margaret first joined Rotary in 1997, here in Guelph, and later transferred her membership to the Rotary Club of London North while living, farming and working in that area. She served as that club's president four times! She stayed in touch with her friends at the Rotary Club of Guelph by occasionally attending club meetings at the ICC. In 2022, she relocated back to Guelph fulltime, rejoined our club as a member and brought with her an additional bonus - her talented grandson Aidan Harris who also joined our club while still studying at the University of Guelph.
Among her many accomplishments in life, for 35 years Margaret owned Harmony House Retirement Home on Gordon Street in Guelph, right beside Heritage House. She took pride in running the very first retirement community that she was aware of to allow residents to bring their cherished pets to live with them at Harmony House. She was also proud of the gourmet meals she lovingly prepared for the residents, and how she made sure to make each person she dealt with feel seen and heard.
Many Rotarians did not know of Margaret's longstanding involvement in politics, or her love of all animals and that she had lived on her own farm in Dutton, Ontario largely off-the-grid for around five years, or her passion for history and membership in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), an inclusive community pursuing research and re-creation of pre-seventeenth century skills, arts, combat and culture, where she was known as “Margraig of Ealdormere”.
More details about her interesting career(s) and passions are in the links above.
Here is the notification sent from our Rotary Club president, Marva Bailey-Wisdom:
My Fellow Rotarians:
It is with deep sadness that I share that our Margaret Trainor passed away this weekend. Some of you may know that she has been battling cancer that was in remission and returned years later. The family is taking time to mourn the loss of their matriarch. Aidan has shared that a celebration of life will likely take place at the end of January.
Aidan shared that she insisted on making Christmas turkey and stuffing with some help :) That is our Margaret. She passed away this Saturday, at home, celebrating the new year with her family - peacefully, in a comfy chair draped in a warm blanket, as she slept.
We have lost a giant in Rotary. Her decades of service, whether she served as committee chair or president… She died serving - holding End Polio Now chairship for our Club.
From Aidan, check out this Facebook link with some photos posted by her Medieval group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/26350764877858141
More information will follow as to celebration of life for Margaret. She has chosen to be cremated.
CLUB TRIBUTE TO MARGARET ON JANUARY 9, 2026
We were so glad to welcome Margaret's family to our Rotary Club meeting, for them to hear a few tributes from other club members. In attendance were Margaret's daughters, Vivian Hall and Jen McNorton, Aidan Harris (Vivian's son) and Zoe Collett (Jen's daughter) and Aidan's stepdad, Chris Harris.
Tributes were paid by club members Terrie Jarvis, Helmuth Slisarenko, Marva Wisdom, Aidan Harris and our MP, Dominique O'Rourke.
TERRIE'S REMARKS:
Margaret and I first bonded over learning that we’d each had a sister with polio. In addition to her longstanding efforts with PURPLE FOR POLIO to raise awareness and funds to END POLIO internationally, I also admired her commitment in supporting a local Rotary initiative to ERADICATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Margaret’s interests were widespread, and ranged from High Level Policy to Practical on-the-ground activities.
More recently, a new action topic of passionate interest had arisen related to FOSTER CARE. I had told Margaret that Wyndham House, the local charity that focuses on youth shelter, now plans to establish Guelph’s first foster home. We were both horrified to learn that local kids taken into foster care are currently sent away to foster centres in other cities, thus losing not only their local family but their local friends and having to change schools – adding trauma upon trauma.
Margaret made no secret of the fact that she had grown up in foster care, and told me she wanted to chat with Wyndham House about their plans for their foster care home. I quickly set up a meeting for the very next week, but a few days before that, Margaret went back into hospital and I thought ‘that was that’. Oh no.
Margaret said "What about having the meeting on Zoom instead - could you arrange that? Because I REALLY WANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH WYNDHAM HOUSE.” So that is exactly what we did. At the appointed time, Margaret tidied her hair, put on her earrings, propped herself up in her hospital bed and we positioned my iPad appropriately on her table. For almost an hour, Margaret asked questions, shared heartfelt thoughts and insights, and made suggestions in an animated conversation with Kristen Cairney, the Executive Director of Wyndham House. It was simply wonderful, and exactly what Margaret wanted.
Margaret then gave me follow up instructions to please stay connected with this foster care home and find a way for Rotarians to help … not just with money, but with personal care and contact that makes foster kids feel seen and heard. Dear Margaret, we are on the case, in your memory.
HELMUTH'S REMARKS:
REMINDER ABOUT MARGARET'S CELEBRATION OF LIFE:
A Celebration of Margaret's Life will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 4pm at the ICC. Please RSVP via Facebook at this link.