Died quietly on March 13 after a brief period of declining health. She was born 96 years ago on October 13, 1916 in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand to Harry Walker, from Manchester, England, and Margaret Walker (McLeod) of Dunedin. She spent her childhood there with her sisters Min (Somerville) and Una (Graham), and her brother, Bill. She left New Zealand for Sydney, Australia. When the United States entered World War II, she served as a secretary for the American Armed Forces. When the opportunity arose, she and five close friends volunteered to move to Manila. There she met her husband-to-be, an American serving with the US Army Corps of Engineers.
After the war ended, the staff moved to Tokyo, Japan where Meg and Bruce married, and lived for three years. Meg entered the US for the first time with her baby in 1949, and their son was born in Virginia a few months later. They made their home in Falls Church while Bruce was stationed in Washington DC for several years. They moved to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri in 1956, where Meg became a naturalized US Citizen. Their next stationing was in Germany, where they lived for the next three years. The family returned to the USA in 1958, to a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Brigadier General Rindlaub died suddenly in March 1959, leaving his relatively young widow to raise her children alone.
The shy red-headed girl matured into a capable and self-sufficient woman. Meg packed the children into the car and traveled across the country to Santa Barbara in 1959 where she has lived ever since. She bought a brand-new home on the Mesa, enrolled the children in school, renewed old Army friendships and made new friends. She and the children had many adventurous road trips, camping in state and national parks. After the children left home for college, she earned a real estate sales license, and worked about 10 years in that field. Family was her mainspring, and she and her sisters traveled regularly to reunite in the US, England, and Australia. Meg’s hobbies were golfing, lawn bowling, and gardening. She walked daily and played bridge regularly with a treasured circle of friends. Macular degeneration stopped her from driving in her late 80’s. Even so, neighbors would frequently see her walking steadily up and down the steep hill between her home and the Cliff Drive shopping center, or boarding City buses to do her shopping downtown well into her early 90’s. She will be remembered for her exquisite manners, strong will, and love of music and the natural world.
Meg is survived by her sister Una Graham of Shalford, England, her children Katherine and John of Santa Barbara, 4 nieces and 3 nephews and their children in England, Canada, Australia, the US, and New Zealand.
A memorial service is pending. For details please email: krindlaub@ yahoo.com. Friends may wish to remember her favorite charities, Jodi House and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
