Margaret Dorothy Killam: Is Margaret Atwood’s Mother Still Alive?

Margaret Dorothy Killam is a celebrity parent. She is known as Margaret Eleanor Atwood’s mother. Margaret’s daughter is known for her work as a poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. She has established herself as one of the most respected personalities. She is a Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto.

Margaret Dorothy Killam: Bio Summary

Who Is The Mother Of Margaret Atwood?

Margaret Dorothy Killam is the woman who gave birth to Margaret Atwood on November 18, 1939, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The senior Margaret was welcomed into the world on the 8th of June 1909, in Woodville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Harold Edwin Killam and Ora Louise (Webster) Killam are the names of her parents. Her father was a country doctor.

Margaret Dorothy Killam isn’t the only child her parents gave birth to. According to sources, her siblings are Kathleen Cogswell, Frederick Killam, Harold Killam, and Joyce Barkhouse. She was raised away from the spotlight so much is unknown about her life growing up. Her educational details are not in the spotlight.

Margaret Dorothy Killam is said to have ‘taught school, saved the money for her own fees, and won a college scholarship’, per Geni. She worked as a dietitian and nutritionist. She fell in love with Carl Edmund Atwood, an entomologist. How she and Carl’s love story began has not been made public. They began dating and eventually got married.

Margaret became the wife of Carl Edmund Atwood on 12 September 1935, in Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada. The then newly wedded couple are said to have enjoyed their honeymoon canoeing down the Saint John River in New Brunswick, then headed for northern Quebec, where Carl ran an insect research station.

The husband and wife lived in tents, then in a cabin Carl built, where they raised two children without the benefit of electricity or running water. In 1945, they moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They later moved to Toronto, where Carl taught zoology at the University of Toronto. After moving to Toronto, the couple had a third child.

ALSO, READ: Carl Edmund Atwood: What Happened To Margaret Atwood’s Father?

Their marriage was blessed with three children. Margaret and her husband Carl’s children are Harold Leslie Atwood, Margaret Eleanor Atwood, and Ruth Atwood. Margaret and her husband Carl raised their children with love and care. Margaret was a very supportive mother and wife. She took care of the family.

Margaret’s daughter Margaret Atwood once revealed about her mother: “Our mother set up a mammoth berry-preserving operation, and we were set to picking blueberries at a cent a cup. She did not believe in waste or overspending.” Carl was often away on insect-collecting trips. Margaret enjoyed reading aloud and all three of her children got the benefit.

Margaret was a hilarious storyteller and an alarming mimic. Unlike her sister Joyce Barkhouse, who was a children’s writer, Margaret had no interest in writing. She composed only one poem in her life. Margaret’s daughter Margaret Atwood became a poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor.

Margaret Atwood has published eighteen books of poetry, eighteen novels, eleven books of non-fiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight children’s books, two graphic novels, and several small press editions of both poetry and fiction. Some of her works have been adapted for film and television. Many of her poems are inspired by myths and fairy tales which interested her from a very early age.

ALSO, READ: Eleanor Atwood Gibson: Facts About Margaret Atwood’s Daughter

Is Margaret Atwood’s Mother Still Alive?

Unfortunately, Margaret Atwood’s mother Margaret Dorothy Killam is no longer alive. She passed away on 31 December 2006, in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada. She died when she was 97 years old. The cause of her death is unknown. She was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, in Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada, per Findagrave. Her husband, Carl Edmund Atwood died on January 05, 1993, at age 86.