Maxine Botelho

Maxine Botelho, age 85, passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 8, 2016 at Patriot Heights Healthcare Center. She was born on July 13, 1930 in Temple, Texas, the only child of Lutha and Mae Deene Caskey. She attended school in Killeen, Texas in her early years and participated in the school band, where she played alto saxophone. Her parents later moved to San Angelo, Texas where she graduated from San Angelo Central High School. She married Bill Margowski, who she met while attending Texas Christian University. Bill enlisted in the Army and as an Army family, they were stationed at various stateside installations and Germany, where two of her three children were born.

In 1956, Maxine and Bill divorced and she later married Lawrence Botelho, who she met while working at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo. As an Air Force wife, she followed her husband on his various postings. While Larry was stationed at Stead AFB, she completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada in 1961 and starting a teaching career. Taiwan was the next posting for Larry and where Maxine taught in the American school there. San Antonio, Texas was the last posting for the family. Maxine began teaching in Northside School District at Westwood Terrace Elementary. She completed a master’s degree at Our Lady of the Lake University in Library Science in 1969. She worked in various school libraries until she was selected to be the Library Coordinator for NISD.

Maxine had a variety of interests which she pursued with gusto. She was an excellent musician and vocalist, directing a church choir and playing the piano and organ. Sewing was also a true talent of hers, producing Halloween costumes, dance recital ensembles, and coordinating outfits for her daughters and herself. She and Larry loved to travel and had a RV for road trips within the United States and toured many of the countries in Europe. Maxine was also very interested in her family ancestry and worked on completing a family tree of her ancestors that goes back to Scotland and the island of Skye. In 1990, she traveled to her clan’s ancestral home, Dunvegan Castle on the island of Skye and met the clan’s current chieftain.

Her extensive ancestral research garnered her membership to the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Alamo Mission Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, Lutha and Mae Deene Caskey, her husband, Larry Botelho as well as her aunts and uncles, Winifred and I.B. Bell and La Bera and Lathel Caskey. She is survived by her children, Michele Palmer and her husband Ray, Mike Margowski and his wife Lee, and Marcie Dougherty and her husband Mark, along with her cousin Jan Brooks and husband Carlos. She also has four grandchildren, Amy, Heather, Jennifer, and Sean and their spouses.

A celebration of her life will be held at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home at 6321 Bandera Road on Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. followed by a private burial at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the San Antonio Humane Society, 4804 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, Texas 78229.