Maryon Pearson 385963 190296561 2008-02-10T01:36:49Z Sethpt 3170305 /* Children */ '''Maryon Pearson''' (born [[1901]], [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]] - died [[December 26]] [[1989]], [[Toronto, Ontario]]) was the wife of [[Lester Bowles Pearson]], the 14th Prime Minister of Canada. Born as '''Maryon Elspeth Moody''', she 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: * ''"Behind every successful man, there stands a surprised woman."'' * [On the retired former prime minister's greater time at home]: ''"I married him for better or worse. I didn't marry him for lunch."'' * [On being asked during an election campaign by a reporter, ''"Is there anything you'd like to bring up, Mrs. Pearson?"] "Yes, three doughnuts and six cups of coffee."'' * ''"We lost everything. We even won our own constituency."'' * ''"The big problem is to find suitable hats. I don't care for them all that much, but you have to wear them in politics."'' See also: [[Spouses of the Prime Ministers of Canada]]. ==Children== They had one son, [[Geoffrey Pearson|Geoffrey]], and one daughter, Patricia. Geoffrey is married to former Canadian [[Senate of Canada|Senator]] [[Landon Pearson]]. Geoffrey and Landon Pearson's daughter is ''[[National Post]]'' journalist [[Patricia Pearson]] (not to be confused with her aunt, of the same name, who did not maintain a public career). ==References== English, John. ''Shadow of Heaven: The Life of Lester Pearson''. Toronto: Lester & Orpen Dennys, 1989 (ISBN 0-88619-169-6). {{start box}} {{succession box| before=[[Olive Diefenbaker|Olive Freeman Diefenbaker]]| title=[[Spouses of the Prime Ministers of Canada|Spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada]]| years=1963-1968| after=[[Margaret Trudeau|Margaret Sinclair Trudeau]] }} {{end box}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Maryon}} [[Category:1901 births]] [[Category:1989 deaths]] [[Category:Date of birth missing]] [[Category:People from Toronto]] [[Category:People from Winnipeg]] [[Category:Spouses of the Prime Ministers of Canada]] [[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]