Margaret A. Stutsman

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, at Hodgson Funeral Home, with rosary at 6:30pm. Rock Island. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 8, at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Rock Island. Interment will follow at Rock Island National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the RICCA, or a charity of your choice.

Margaret was born December 7, 1913, in Muscatine, IA, the only daughter of James J. and Mary A. (McFadden) McCarty. Margaret graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing, and continued to pursue her nursing by serving as a Navy nurse in World War II and Korea. She had a long career in the Navy that took her to Guam and Japan, and she ended up with the rank of full lieutenant. Her Navy career would take her to several Pacific tours of duty. She opted to stay in the Navy reserves, and in 1951 she found herself called up to active duty in Korea, and was honorably discharged in 1954.

Her love for serving others found her working with children on the Navajo Reservation in Parker, AZ. She often recalled that experience as a very happy time for her.

Following her marriage to Carl Stutsman in November of 1955, Margaret and her husband returned to Rock Island, where they were two of the handful of people who set the course for the development of the Rock Island County Council on Addictions (RICCA), beginning in the 1960’s. It was their dream to build programs of support, shelter, and guidance for newly recovering men and women.

They worked to create RICCA’s Beacon House program for men and the New Hope Lodge for women. The women’s lodge opened in 1977, the first of its kind in Illinois and one of a very few in the nation. In 1992, the newly remodeled halfway house for women was renamed the Margaret Stutsman Lodge in her honor, for her years of devotion, time, money, and guidance to women recovering from chemical dependency. She was a volunteer staffer, mentor, counselor, chair of the advisory committee, and chief fundraiser for the center. More than 1,500 women have had the chance for a better life due to her efforts.

She also helped St. Ambrose University students prepare for health care professions. She supported the University’s summer program for children with disabilities. She also looked forward to her weekly visit to the Rock Island Arsenal Day Care Center to nurture the babies and toddlers.

In 2002 the City of Rock Island named her the Citizen of the Year for her many years of volunteering and philanthropy.

Her parents, her husband, Carl, her brother, Lawrence McCarty, as well as her nephew, Thomas McCarty preceded Margaret in death.

Survivors include her niece, Mrs. Gerald McKinney, Davenport, nephews, Robert McCarty, Port St. Lucie, FL, James McCarty, Rehoboth Beach, DE, a great niece, 2 great nephews, and 3 great-great nephews.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.hodgsonfuneralhome.com.