bout de papier, Vol. 15, No. 4 (1998-1999) — Winter 1998/99 // Hiver 1998/99, pp. 26–27
Following is the text of the eulogy delivered by Vernon Turner at the memorial service for Marion Macpherson.
Many of us here today are veterans of the Canadian foreign service. departure from this world of Marion Macpherson, a fellow Foreign Service officer, has a special resonance. Thanks to the nature of Foreign Service life, the frequent changes of scene and personnel, the sometimes exhausting travel, the stimulation of engaging in both intellectual and trivial pursuits, the frustrations of bureaucracy, and the enlargement of our cultural horizons, we find it especially poignant to say goodbye to a colleague and a good friend whose experience was so much like our own. Marion was one of us.
Pride, as we know, is not a virtue. I believe, however, that to be proud in some circumstances is a source of strength and much to be commended. Marion was proud of her Scottish heritage and quick to rise to the defence of all things Scottish. Her love of the bagpipes was unqualified and could even lead her to play a record or spin a compact disc exclusively devoted to bagpipe music. Marion was equally proud of her Saskatchewan roots and upbringing. These endowed her with a feisty spirit, a clarity of purpose and a determination to excel. There must be something special in the air or the water out there, particularly in Moosomin. That of course is where Marion grew up, with her sister Joanne and her late brother, Bill.
Marion made no great claims for herself but she was proud to have been the first woman to enter the Foreign Service directly through the competitive examination process. Having done so, she never sought special treatment as a woman; nor did she evade the more onerous burdens that a demanding Department might place upon her. Early in her career she served in Hanoi, a post in those days characterized by heat, humidity, isolation and poor food. Her reward for that sterling service was a crossposting to Accra, a step up in terms of living conditions but not an easy place either. Still, it was an exciting time to be in Ghana, a newly independent African state led by the somewhat messianic Kwame Nkrumah. Marion greatly enjoyed Accra and related well to Africans of all kinds.
This talent served her well in the 60’s at our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. There, as the mission officer responsible for colonial questions in the Fourth Committee, Marion was deeply engaged with African issues — apartheid in South Africa, the illegal regime in Rhodesia, and the future of South West Africa. This involved frequent and close contacts with all African delegates as well as with key Western representatives. During Canada’s stint on the Security Council in 1967-68, it was Marion who wrote speeches, helped negotiate resolutions and lobbied, on behalf of Canada, in support of our Permanent Representative and in pursuit of our policy objectives in the area for which she was responsible. I served with Marion during that period, saw her in action, and developed a deep appreciation for her diplomatic skills, particularly her dedication, sense of humour and astute appraisal of the motivations of others.
There is no doubt that those two years on the Security Council in 1967-68 provided plenty of work and excitement for all of us in New York. When the African issues were accompanied by events in the Middle East, Cyprus and Czechoslovakia, we knew that in the Security Council we were on the diplomatic front lines. One result of this activity was, inevitably, a high level of tension within the Mission and sometimes between the Mission and Headquarters. In that context an official in Ottawa became concerned and told me that I was being relied on as the rock of the mission – the rock! When Marion heard this, she screamed with laughter because, in her view, under my ostensibly cool demeanour lay a volcano waiting to erupt. In brief, I may have fooled others but I never fooled Marion Macpherson.
One of the less attractive features of diplomacy, particularly at the United Nations, is that the time and effort expended on particular issues or objectives can be totally disproportionate to the results achieved. Marion knew this as well as anyone, but her enthusiasm never flagged. Thus she had to take great satisfaction from what ultimately occurred during her lifetime — the end of apartheid, the resolution of the Rhodesian crisis with the emergence of Zimbabwe, and the independence of Namibia
I have dwelt on the UN experience because Marion and I worked so closely together there, and many details of that association remain firmly impressed on my memory. It is clear to me that Marion brought the same sure touch and clearheaded perspective to bear on her many other assignments at home and abroad, notably as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ambassador to Denmark and High Commissioner to Zambia and Malawi. And her selection for the position of Inspector General of the Foreign Service constituted in my view, an exceptional testament to her sound judgement, reliability and common sense.
On her retirement, Marion led a relatively quiet life but it was not uneventful. She continued her piano lessons and not only played but composed, something of which she could also be justifiably proud. Crossword puzzles, mystery stories and the Sunday New York Times kept her sharp as a tack while meetings with old friends of the Retired Heads of Mission Association were a special treat.
Towards the end, Marion’s quality of life was greatly diminished but she remained remarkably stoic through it all. I admired that. Mary Macdonald, Marion’s longtime friend, loyal supporter and regular visitor during her many weeks in hospital, has remarked to me that Marion managed to greet us with her wonderful smile even when she was extremely ill. Yes, she did. Marion’s smile was wonderful and I shall always think of it when I remember her. I am sure that she would wish all of you to do the same..
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 15, No. 4 (1998-1999) — Winter 1998/99 // Hiver 1998/99, pp. 26–27. Read the rest of this issue →
