MacLean, Margaret H.M. Berry

MacLean, Margaret H.M. Berry

We are sad to announce the death of Margaret H. M. Berry MacLean on Monday, March 7, 2022, at the age of 92. Born in Moncton, NB, on February 28, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Bruce Maitland Berry and Helen Grace (Aiton) Berry. She was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Hector R. MacLean.

She attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick (BSc, 1951) and the School of Dental and Oral Surgery at Columbia University in New York (BSc in Dental Hygiene, 1953). She returned to serve as New Brunswick’s first Provincial Dental Hygienist and then as Federal Dental Hygienist for Health and Welfare Canada.

In 1961, Margaret was appointed to establish the University of Alberta’s first School of Dental Hygiene, where she served as founding Director and Dean, followed by her retirement in 1975. In 2000, her accomplishments were recognized by the University of Alberta as recipient of the prestigious Bulyea Cup, the highest honour that the School of Dentistry confers on its faculty members, members of the dental and dental hygiene professions, and members of the community.

As a founding member of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, Margaret was awarded a Lifetime Membership as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016. Teaching was fundamental to her life, she maintained lifelong friendships with her students.

Margaret’s and Hector’s legacies at the University of Alberta continue through their endowments to the Schools of Dental Hygiene and Dentistry.

Margaret was active within the larger community. She enjoyed playing golf at the Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club and was an avid student and player of bridge. When gardening in the backyard of her Windsor Park home, she was always in the company of her trusted and loved four-legged companion, Tigger. She rarely missed a Grey Cup game, and was always ready for a ‘chin-wag’ about almost any subject … politics, business, cars, the NHL, or the U of A, the history of Windsor Park, or the best bread pudding in Edmonton. Her interests were as diverse as her thirst for learning. She felt knowledge was the greatest gift in life.

As well as intellectually curious, she was always adventurous. She enjoyed fly-fishing on the Miramichi River, skiing in the Rockies, and more esoteric activities like hot air ballooning over the Serengeti, exploring New Guinea, and sailing through the Galápagos Islands.

Whether recounting her experiences of partridge hunting, jungle safaris, or enjoying “pheasant under glass” at Raffles in Singapore, Margaret would tell the story with the same “matter of fact” attitude, never complaining and always encouraging others with this advice: “If you ever get the chance….do it.”

Margaret Berry MacLean lived each day to the fullest, and she advised everyone to “live without fear or regret, take chances, travel as widely as possible, and above all, continue, always, to learn.”

We extend our sincere thanks to the staff at CapitalCare Lynnwood, and to all the healthcare professionals who provided Margaret with exceptional care over the past two years. A private internment and celebration of Margaret’s life will be held at the Berry Family gravesite at Greenwood Cemetery in Hartland, NB.