Obituary of Margaret Mourning

Margaret Mourning (80) resident of St. Maries, ID passed away at Benewah Community Hospital on March 5, 2021. She was born in Vanderhoof, BC on August 20, 1940 to CPR Leonard and Muriel Fielder. She thought she was supposed to be a boy, but to hide her dad’s disappointment she was his pal throughout his life. He taught her the important lessons of life, never steal, lie, or cheat, to strive to be the best, to be respectful to everyone, and to stand up for what’s right. When Margaret was 7, her dad retired from the RCMP and the family moved to Rutland BC where she pent the next 11 years of her life playing outside from dawn to dusk, attending school, and participating in sports, soccer, softball, track, and basketball. In her senior year, she was picked up by the Kelowna Teddy Bears Basketball Team and they won the provincial title. After graduation from Rutland High School, Margaret moved to Kelowna BC where she started her career in banking with the Bank of Montreal and playing basketball for the next 5 years. During those 5 years they won 5 more provincial titles and 2 Canadian Championships. The basketball team was placed in the Central Hall of Fame in 1998 and in the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame Museum in 2010. In 1963 Margaret transferred to San Francisco with the Bank of Montreal. She loved everything about San Francisco – the financial district, the stores, the professional sports teams, the bars, and her friends. While there she fell in love with a sailor and that started another chapter of her life – marriage, birth of her daughter Shari May Thaut, birth of her son Leonard Thaut and so for the next 15 years she was a navy wife living in CA, ILL, WIS, and VA. That chapter ended in 1981 and in 1983 Margaret married her soulmate Buck Mourning, and for the next 30 years he played music and she was his number one groupie. Buck and Margaret moved out the St. Maries River Road in 1989 and built their forever home. During that time, Margaret was a part of the bowling league and softball league. She retired from American West Bank in 2006 and spent the rest of her years going on 4-wheeling rides with her husband, tending to her flower gardens, and enjoying her grandkids. She loved hearing all about their sporting events. Margaret is preceded in death by her husband Buck Mourning, sister Rosalynd Towgood, and granddaughter Chelsea Thaut. She is survived by her son Leonard (Tonia) Thaut and daughter Share Porterfield, sister Muriel Fielder, 8 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and step-daughter Connie Mourning. At Margaret’s request, there will be no services. She will be laid to rest with her husband Buck in Woodlawn Cemetery.