Margaret Anita Tinken (Marg/Margo) passed away at 80 years of age in Toronto, Wednesday, March 11th 2026. At Nisbet Lodge nursing home, after several years of suffering from dementia. Preceded in death by her loving husband of 50+ years, Thomas. Beloved Mother of Melanie, and her partner Phil and Dear Sister of Penelope, Sister in law to Patrick and Michael. Cousin to Ken and Robert. Preceded in death by her parents Mary Isis, and Harold. Dear Friend to Linda and David. Pet Mum to many beloved pets, she rescued from the street. 

Margaret was born in India, and part of the unique diaspora of the Anglo-Indian community. She immigrated to Canada with her parents and sister when she was a child. And grew up in the metropolitan Toronto area. Margaret worked for many years as a receptionist for Baxter Media (Travel Press) where she was the friendly and magnetic first face greeting all customers and colleagues at the front door. She was exuberant and spirited and loved by all who had the pleasure of working with her. She was a young mother and wife who had considerable creative skills, whether it was making her young daughter’s clothing by hand, including halloween costumes, decorating her home eclectically with antiques, making family holidays magical or being on the cutting edge of food trends before they took hold in restaurants and the popular culture. She hosted every family holiday, and dinner party with her incredible cooking skills, including many Indian foods, from her Anglo-Indian heritage. She was generous, and popular and always welcomed in her daughter’s childhood friends, hosting birthday parties, as well as her many dinner parties. She was kind hearted, liberal minded and a good ally to people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Margaret was a smart, compassionate and enthusiastic woman, who loved to travel. She would research locations, in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, making sure to visit cultural centres and enjoy the local history, art and cuisine of any place she was fortunate to visit. Whether it was London or a local small town. She took loving care of her family and made sure all celebrations were enjoyed by all of her guests. She was sensitive, caring and loving, especially to animals, that were her pets, or squirrels in the yard. She enjoyed going out with her husband and daughter to films, concerts, art galleries, restaurants, antique stores and wine vineyards. She had a magnetic smile and a generous heart. She knew how to have fun, and how to share that with the people she loved. As she got older she took care of her mother, and father as they needed her help. In the last few years of her life she sadly developed Dementia. As her disease progressed and her husband predeceased her, she took residence at the Nisbet Lodge nursing home in Toronto. Thank you to the team at the Nisbet Lodge, who made her final years, safe and deeply cared for. 

There will be no funeral, in lieu of flowers, we ask instead if you feel called to make a donation in her name to the Toronto Humane Society. A celebration of life will be held on June 20th 2026 at Gerrard Art Space (GAS) in Toronto.