CHARLES GRANT MARSHALL B.I.D., M.A., F.P.I.D.I.M

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CHARLES GRANT MARSHALL B.I.D., M.A., F.P.I.D.I.M December 23, 1931 - September 4, 2012 In the early morning of September 4, 2012 Grant Marshall, beloved husband of Marilyn (Marnie) passed away suddenly and peacefully in his sleep. Grant was a life force that we all felt could, and would survive all odds. His passing is felt deeply by his daughter, Alix and her husband Ken Sallows of Calgary, and by his daughter Kirsten, her husband Chris Tabbitt and their children Quinn and Julian of Toronto. He also will be sadly missed by his sister Ollie Gyles of Winnipeg, his brother-in-law Bruce Young of Winnipeg, his sister-in-law Virginia Young of Hopkins Landing, BC, his sister-in-law Maureen Marshall of Penticton, BC, and his many nieces and nephews. Grant was raised in West Kildonan by his parents, Thomas and Kathleen Marshall (née Moore). The youngest of three children, he showed an early interest in painting and art. His mother found him an instructor in Phyllis Field Cooper, who taught and instilled in him a love of painting and watercolour that stayed with him throughout his life. Grant graduated high school at West Kildonan Collegiate in 1948 and was the recipient of the Governor General's Medal. Grant's first love of fashion and costume design was not available for study in Canada at that time so he decided on his second choice, interior design. It was a terrific second choice. Grant had a prolific career. Upon graduating from the University of Manitoba in 1955, with the Gold Medal, he went on to teach at the faculty, becoming head of the department from 1989 until 1994. He loved teaching and was an adored professor at the Faculty of Interior Design. This was always evident during his regular trips to Toronto for the Interior Design Exhibition, where he would be stopped every few minutes by former students wishing to say hello. He was a founding member of the Interior Designers of Canada Foundation. Amongst his several awards and accolades he was particularly proud of his receipt of The University of Manitoba Alumni Jubilee Award (1980), and The Manitoba Premier's Award of Excellence for Interior Design for his work on the Anne Ross Daycare Centre (1985). Grant's first design practice, Design Associates later became Grant Marshall Interiors Limited. He designed thousands of beautiful residential interiors in Winnipeg, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary, Victoria and Florida. Many of his clients became dear friends over the years, which is probably why he continued to work right up to his last days. Grant's first interest in fashion lead him to open The Third Step, a favourite boutique for women's clothing. The shop opened in 1965 and continued for 25 successful years. Grant also co-owned Casa M which sold giftware imported from Mexico. Grant met his wife Marnie (Marilyn Young) backstage at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where Marnie was a principal dancer. They fell in love while he was designing the costumes for the ballet The Twisted Heart , in which Marnie was dancing the lead. Their marriage lasted 53 wonderful years during which time they raised their two girls and shared a love of musical theatre, ballet and the arts. Grant was a champion of the arts and theatre. He designed the sets and costumes for seven works for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet as well as for the Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers and Rainbow Stage. He was a board member of The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Rainbow Stage. He chaired the decorations committee for the Winnipeg Art Gallery, designing five gala fundraisers, and sat on the advisory committee for the Manitoba Craft Guild. Grant was inducted into the Rainbow Stage Wall of Fame in 2009. Grant also volunteered his design time for several non-profit institutions including Ronald MacDonald House, where he was both a member of the steering committee and the designer. He sat on the board of the Mount Carmel Clinic and the Anne Ross Daycare Centre in Winnipeg. Painting was Grant's passion. One of the first private art galleries in Winnipeg was opened on Osborne Street by Grant Marshall, Bruce Head and Winston Leathers in the 1960s. Grant and Marnie travelled around Europe as he painted en plein air in beautiful cities and country sides. His watercolours translated into several group and one-man shows over the years. His final and highly successful show recently closed at the end of August at the Pavilion Gallery Museum in Assiniboine Park. The funeral and reception will take place at Neil Bardal Funeral Chapel, 3030 Notre Dame Ave., on Wednesday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a Winnipeg arts organization of your choice. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 nbardal.mb.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 10, 2012