Margaret Jane Graham

Beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and dear friend to many, Margaret Jane Graham peacefully passed away in her Seattle, WA home December 30, 2011. Known to many as “Margie,” and “Zinky” to her dear college friends, Margaret was born on November 5, 1917 in St. Paul, MN. She grew up in Miles City, MT where her father, John Jacob Trzcinski, was a surveyor and land agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Her mother, Priscilla Renwick Trzcinski, immigrated from England. Margaret was an extremely positive, generous and hospitable person. She took a genuine interest in people, culture and activities, and lived life to the fullest.

Margie left Montana to attend the University of Washington (class of 1939) where she joined Chi Omega sorority and made lifelong friends. At the U of W Margie was selected for Mortar Board. Her Treasurer’s statements are reported to have been hysterically funny, in contrast to the usual boring fare. Margie was a lifelong Husky fan and football season ticket holder; she regularly attended games into her late 80s. After graduation she worked for the FBI before marrying Robert W. Graham on August 29, 1941. Margie was a life-long supportive partner in Bob’s life of legal, community, and international service, and she was an involved, caring mother of the couple’s five children.

Throughout her life Margaret was active in community service and volunteer work. As a teenager she was initiated into the P.E.O. sisterhood and remained active into her 90s. For decades she was a committed docent at the Seattle Art Museum. She was active in her garden club and the Seattle Opera Guild.

Margaret took full advantage of every cultural opportunity available to her, and opened her home to friends and family to do the same. As a U of W student, she traveled to Japan before World War II. She and Bob hosted several foreign exchange students in their home. She accompanied Bob to Japan, the Philippines and other countries where he was a member of the Foreign Service Inspection Corps evaluating U.S. Embassies overseas. After Bob retired from his Seattle law practice with Bogle and Gates, they moved to Vienna, Austria where he served as the personal representative for Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger to the Conventional Arms Negotiations. There she embraced all things Austrian and began her study of the German Language, which she diligently continued into her late 80s.

Forever proud of her eastern Montana farm heritage, Margie loved the Northwest and the outdoors, and made the most of her years as a Seattleite. She enjoyed skiing with her family and friends at Ski Acres in the 1940s-60s where she and Bob belonged to Skiers ’ Inc. Later she “tore down” the slopes at Crystal Mountain where the family belonged to the Enumclaw Ski Club. She earned a reputation for trying to make the last lift to maximize her skiing days. As a senior, Margaret skied with the Seattle-based, Ancient Skiers, enjoying the sport until age 84.

Margaret also loved the San Juan and Gulf Islands and created many happy memories with friends and family on the Graham-family boats, the Lucy Belle and her successor, the Bali Hai. Swimming in Lake Washington, especially with the Laurelhurst Beach Club “Fattie Fleet” was a big part of Margaret’s life. In 1972, she dipped into Lake Washington every single day! She continued swimming in the lake until she was almost 90.

Margaret is predeceased by her only sibling, Charles Renwick Trzcinski (Seattle, WA), and husband Robert W. Graham. She is survived by a large loving family, son Robert Graham, Jr. (Seattle, WA), son Douglas Graham and Diane Dorow (Issaquah, WA), granddaughter Allison and David Allred (Alexandria, VA), grandson MacKenzie Graham and fiancée Wakako Osaka (Nagoya, Japan), daughter Priscilla and David Wyckoff (Prosser WA), grandson Courtney and Katie Wyckoff, great granddaughters Grace and Charlotte Wyckoff (Grandview, WA), grandson Tygh Wyckoff and Sarah Menashe, great granddaughter June Wyckoff (Philadelphia, PA), son Malcolm“Scott” and Teresa Graham, grandsons Ryan and Jonathan Graham (Seattle, WA), daughter Laura Graham and Thomas Scruggs Jr., grandsons Thomas III and Malcolm Scruggs (Berkeley, CA).

A celebration of Margaret’s life will be held at 4 PM, Monday, February 20 at Conibear Shellhouse, 3896 Walla Walla Rd. NE, Seattle, WA, at the UW E-8 parking lot, immediately northeast of Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that any remembrances be made to “The Trzcinski/Graham Scholarship, Mortar Board/Tolo Foundation,” c/o Suzanne Whitacre, P.O. Box 53162, Bellevue WA 98015, OR the “P.E.O., Chapter BU, WA Fund,” c/o Elaine Burkhead, 2310 East Ward St., Seattle WA 98112, or the charity of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction of Acacia Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Seattle, Washington.