Muriel Duckworth at peace

Muriel Helena Ball Duckworth died on August 22. The legendary peace
activist was visiting her beloved cottage in Magog, Quebec, built when
she was four years old. She had a gentle fall and was taken to
hospital. She said she was ready to go, and did, surrounded by friends
and family. “She lived a wonderful, wonderful life,” says long-time
friend Pat Kipping. “I miss her horribly but we had 100 years of
her—a century! Her message resonated with scores of people.”

Last Halloween, when Duckworth turned 100, was a week-long
celebration. Cards, gifts and visitors poured into her Bedford
apartment, culminating with hundreds of people attending a Sunday
afternoon party and concert at the Cohn. One hundred cakes were
served.

Duckworth never wavered in her support for peace. “War is stupid,”
she said, many many times.

Duckworth’s many achievements include helping to found the NS branch
of Voice of Women and also the Canadian Council for International
Co-operation. She was given many awards, among them the Order of
Canada, the Pearson Medal of Peace and at least 10 honourary
doctorates.

Kipping says Duckworth was very happy about some recent events. “She
lived to see the first African-American community organizer become
president of the United States. She was thrilled. She saw Irvine Carvey
become the first African Nova Scotian elected as chair of the school
board here. And she attended the swearing in of the Nova Scotia NDP
government.”

At her birthday party last fall Oxfam Canada’s Jack and Muriel
Duckworth Fund for Global Active Citizenship was launched; it is one of
the places her obituary asked that donations be sent to. The Halifax
Quakers were entrusted by Duckworth to plan her memorial service here.
The first planning meeting is scheduled for September 1.

This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.