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Mrs. Margaret Emma Pearl Brown Chambers, 1917-2017
Mother of Robyn Chambers, FUHS ’60; and Gayle Chambers, ’65.

 

Chambers, Margaret Emma Pearl Brown 

1917 - 2017

Long Time Fullerton Resident Lived a Full Life

 

Fullerton, CA - Margaret Emma Pearl Brown Chambers, 99 years, 2 months and 16 days, died Saturday February 18, 2017, after a brief illness. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, May 13th at the First United Methodist Church in Fullerton at 2pm.

 

Margaret, Mom, Aunt Margaret, or Gran as she was known to her family, was a native Canadian born on December 2nd, 1917 in Mimico, Canada, a small town near Toronto. She was the only person in her ancestry to live to the wonderful age of 99.

 

Born to Herbert Stanley Brown and Pearl Hewson, Margaret's family descended from both English and Irish ancestry, dating back to the late 1500's, that eventually immigrated to Canada in the mid 1850's. Most of the family settled in Toronto and surrounding townships. Her ancestry hails from such locations as Towcester, Kessingland and Seamer, England as well as County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.

 

Margaret was the oldest of three siblings. Her late brother Herb Brown, three years her junior, was born in Humber Bay, Canada. He passed away in 2012. Her "little brother" Jack, or Jackie as she liked to call him, was born in 1928 and lives in Glendora.

 

The Brown family immigrated to sunny Southern California in the early 20's due to her mother's health issues. The doctors at the time felt that a warmer climate just might be the cure she needed. Margaret and her siblings grew up as products of various schools in and around Pasadena.

 

In 1927 she participated in the 37th Annual Tournament of Roses Rose Parade riding on a float for the City of Temple City. This experience provided a lifelong love with the Rose Parade having spent many early January 1st mornings along Colorado Blvd., sharing the gift of excitement and celebration with her friends, children and grandchildren. The following year she survived a bout of Rheumatic Fever as she was kept in bed for nearly a year.

 

In 1936 she went on a blind date to a basketball game in Santa Monica with her future husband Robert Daniel Chambers. Bob graduated from Pasadena City College in 1937 and then from USC in 1939. This is where Margaret and her family's love for USC began. 

 

On Nov. 14, 1939 Margaret and Bob were married in Highland Park. The family estimates that Margaret attended well over 350 USC football games during her lifetime, having last attended an SC Football game in the early 2000’s.

 

Margaret and Bob's family lived in Arcadia, Long Beach and Garden Grove before setting down in Fullerton on Lemon Hill Terrace. Two daughters were born to this union, Robyn Diane and Gayle Ann Chambers. The house was filled with pool parties for the two girls along with holiday celebrations too big to fit in the living room.

 

The love in her marriage to Bob eventually faded away much to Margaret's disappointment. Bob was the love of her life and she hoped to see him again one day in heaven.

 

Margaret became a naturalized American Citizen on June 21, 1968 in Orange County, California. She later worked for St Jude Hospital in Fullerton for over 14 years.

 

Her love for travel included numerous trips to Canada with parents and brothers to see distant relatives often staying for the entire summer. She also traveled by RV all over the US staying with distant cousins and friends, enjoying life. Her travels also took her oversees to both Turkey and Greece. Of course nothing though could compare to her life in Southern California. If she could have lived at the beach she would have done so opting instead to spend many evenings in Corona Del Mar watching the sun set. Her love for the ocean, sea shells, the cool air, and the sound of the waves kept her young well into her 100th year of life. Margaret was also an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Fullerton.

 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Herb and his wife Lura Brown; her sister-in-law, Betty Brown, among many friends she made throughout her life. Margaret leaves behind two daughters, Robyn Chambers and Gayle Chambers, both of Fullerton; three grandchildren, Troy Chambers Wollwage and his wife Joan of Redondo Beach, Joshua David Bruce and his wife Melinda of Florida, and Jennifer Gayle Wollwage of Fullerton. Since 2005 the great new love in life was her great grandchild, Jack Patrick Wollwage of Redondo Beach. She also leaves behind her brother, Jack Hewson Brown and his three children, Mike Brown, Virginia Braun and Karen Wilfong along with six grandnephews and nieces and six great grandnephews and nieces.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Margaret Brown Chambers to Music for All, a nonprofit music organization. Gifts may be submitted online at www.musicforall.org/give or mailed to Music for All, Advancement Department, 39 W. Jackson Place, Suite 150, Indianapolis, Indiana 46225.

 

Fight On Gran! You will be missed.

 

Published in Orange County Register from Apr. 23 to Apr. 30, 2017.

 

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The Chambers family lived next door to the Loeblich family of Golden Hill.