Margaret Ellen (Nabours) Farquhar

Margaret Ellen Nabours was born on November 13, 1938 in Port Arthur, Texas to Ruby Etta (Eastwood) Nabours and Maston Henry Nabours, Sr. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Maston Henry Nabours, Jr. She passed away in Houston, Texas on September 21, 2021.

She grew up in Port Arthur and attended school through high school graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1956. She performed with the Hussars while attending high school. After graduation from high school, Margaret attended the University of Texas and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1960. After living in Houston for a few years, they moved to College Station to pursue graduate studies at Texas A&M University. They then moved to Indiana to attend Purdue University and she graduated with a Master of Science in 1966. She later attended University of Washington and graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Micro-Biology in 1972.

After completing her PhD, Margaret engaged in an active research career at the University of Washington publishing prolifically on her seminal understanding of DNA.

Bannister Wells Farquhar Jr. and Margaret married in Port Arthur on September 1, 1962 while living in Houston. After she received her PhD, they settled in Seattle, Washington, living in Bellevue on Hunts Point and then in Clyde Hill for 26 years having a weekend property at Sandy Point, Whidbey Island. In 1996 they designed and built the dream “Frank Lloyd Wright” style home overlooking Holmes Harbor with views of Mount Baker and Mount Rainier.

Margaret’s greatest passions were gardening and travel. She traveled around the world on 3 excursions and was a member of the garden club on Whidbey Island. She kept an extensive garden with many varieties featuring native and exotic plants.

When leaving Whidbey, Margaret & Bann donated their extensive art collection to The Friends of the Library of Freeland.

For health reasons they relocated to Houston, Texas to be close to family in 2016. Five years later Margaret died from Alzheimer’s and leaves behind her husband of 59 years, Bannister Wells Farquhar, Jr., sister-in-law Jacqueline F. Hopkins, niece Amanda Ellen Hopkins and many lifelong friends.