Portland - Margaret A .Edwards, 94, passed away after a short illness on March 5, 2018. She was born in Dover-Foxcroft on December 16, 1923 and was educated in local public schools there as well as Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield.
After high school she attended what was then Gorham Normal school, later Gorham State Teachers College and now the University of Southern Maine. She was employed by school systems throughout the state including Machias, Cape Elizabeth, and finally schools in Portland. At the time of her retirement after thirty five years she was teaching at King Middle School in Portland.
“She was one of the finest teachers in the state,” said Ellsworth Rundlett, an attorney from Portland who was her pupil sixty years ago at Jackson School on Forest Avenue in Portland. “She could teach anything from math to music, science to spelling, art to penmanship and if you didn’t learn well from her, you could not have been paying attention.” In 2016 she attended a reunion of the middle school of Cape Elizabeth where students of yesteryear honored her. Many students exclaimed that she was their favorite teacher.
Margaret was a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa sorority, a teacher’s organization for which she became state president from 1984 to 1986 and again from 1988 to 1990. She was International Altruistic chairperson for ADK from 1981 to 1983 and was a delegate to many conventions. She also served as president of the Portland Teachers Federal Credit Union and the Maine Rose Society.
In the late 90’s she married her longtime friend and companion William A. Hatch who had worked as a publicity director for the State of Maine. They spent summers at his camp in Denmark, enjoyed boating in Casco Bay with friends and relatives. He passed away a few years after that marriage which took place in the offices of the aforementioned attorney. After his death Margaret looked after his beloved dog and kept a look alike of such dog in her apartment in the years before her passing.
She was the subject of a children’s story entitled “Margaret’s Piano”, a delightful tale of the love Margaret had for her piano purchased in Boston in 1898. The story was written by William Hatch’s daughter in law, Susan Henderson, an author and nurse. The story ends with the following:
“More than a hundred years passed since Aimee [the piano] came to Presque Isle. She and Margaret had spent most of their lives together. Then Margaret moved to a place where Aimee could not come. Because she loved Aimee, Margaret sent her to live with a little girl who is the daughter of the daughter of the daughter of Margaret’s older sister, Anna, the first person to play Aimee. So a pleasant little piano built with love, continues to be a part of love.”
Margaret was predeceased by her husband, father, mother, sister and brother but is survived by several nieces and nephews including Susan Provenzano, Margo Blake, Cynthia DiGilio, Stephen Edwards, Edward Blanchard, and Thomas Edwards. Also surviving are her niece and nephew by marriage, Andrea and Allen Graffam as well as her dear friends Karen Oak and Josie Cole.
Her memorial service will be held on April 6, 2018 at 11 a.m. at Jones, Rich and Barnes 199 Woodford St. Portland, ME. April 6, 2018 at 11 a.m. Immediately following services, a reception will follow at Jones, Rich and Barnes.
In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to either of two of her favorite charities, the animal refuge league of Westbrook or Camp Sunshine of Casco, Maine.
Please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign Margaret’s online guest book and offer online condolences.
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