Name Maryon Pearson Education University of Toronto | Grandchildren Patricia Pearson Children Geoffrey Pearson | |
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Born December 13, 1901 ( 1901-12-13 ) Winnipeg, Manitoba Known for Wife of Lester B. Pearson Died December 26, 1989, Toronto, Canada Spouse Lester B. Pearson (m. 1925) Similar People Lester B Pearson, Geoffrey Pearson, Patricia Pearson | ||
Maryon Elspeth Pearson (née Moody; December 13, 1901 – December 26, 1989) was the wife of Lester Bowles Pearson, the 14th Prime Minister of Canada.
Maryon and Lester Pearson married on August 22, 1925. They met at the University of Toronto, where he was a teacher and she was a student.
Maryon Pearson was also known for her sharp tongued wit. John English in his biography, Shadow of Heaven: The Life of Lester Pearson, devoted a full chapter to the subject of Mrs. Pearson's prickly personality. Among her most famous quotations:
It was reportedly also at Maryon Pearson's behest that the practice of curtseying to the Governor General and his consort was discontinued — apparently because Pearson refused to act deferentially toward her longtime friend Norah Michener.
Children
They had one son, Geoffrey, and one daughter, Patricia. Geoffrey was married to former Canadian Senator Landon Pearson. Geoffrey and Landon Pearson's daughter is USA Today journalist Patricia Pearson (not to be confused with her aunt, of the same name, who did not maintain a public career).