Margie Nell Catchings Wingard

Mrs. Margie Nell Catchings Wingard, of Sylacauga, AL, was born December 7, 1932. She passed away December 4, 2023, at Coosa Valley Medical Center in Sylacauga at the age of 90. Mrs. Wingard is survived by her son, Rick Wingard and wife, Susan, of Spanish Fort; her daughter, Tina Fleaman and husband, Bradley, of Sylacauga; her sister, JoAnn Malone of Farmington, NM; her three beloved grandchildren, B.J. Fleaman and wife Aly, of Woodstock, GA, Blake Fleaman of Bremerton, WA, and Brett Taylor and husband Dudley, of Phenix City; her two great granddaughters, Henley Fleaman and Parker Fleaman; and many cousins. Mrs. Wingard is preceded in death by her dear husband, Richard Wingard.

A graveside service for Mrs. Wingard will be held Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the Rockford Cemetery located in Rockford, AL. Reverend Rodney Frost will officiate. The family will be receiving visitors at the cemetery at 12:30 p.m. prior to the service.

Margie was born and raised in Rockford, Alabama, where she graduated from Rockford High School in 1951. She was active in the 4H Club and excelled with showing beef calves. In 1955, she graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. She continued her education earning a masters degree from the University of Montevallo in 1975, and an A.A. degree from UAB in 1979. Over her 38 year career in education, she taught thousands of Sylacauga children at Comer Elementary School, Main Avenue Elementary School, and Indian Valley Elementary School. In 1979, she was chosen, from a large field of the nominees, as the Alabama Teacher of the Year and inducted into the Alabama Teachers Hall of Fame. She retired from teaching in 1994. For over 30 years, she was an active member of the Alpha Delta Kappa honorary teaching sorority, where she organized many altruistic projects, one of which provided hand sewn teddy bears to children in Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL.

In July of 1954 she married her childhood sweetheart, Richard Arlin Wingard. During their 56 years together they enjoyed numerous trips to Europe, Central America, and Canada. Margie’s children and grandchildren were her pride and joy. She and Richard took delight in taking them on cross-country adventures visiting state parks and monuments.

Margie’s family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Sylacauga Health & Rehab, CVMC’s ER, ICU, and 2nd floor, and Coosa Valley Hospice for providing excellent care for her in her later years and this past week. Everyone at both facilities were not only professional and thorough but more importantly they were kind, compassionate, loving, caring, and giving. The dignity they showed her did not go unnoticed!

Margie’s love for children was an integral part of who she was. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to one of the following non-profit organizations that was important to her and her legacy. (Please note “Margie Wingard” when donating.)

Children’s Hospital of Alabama donation here.

https://secure.childrensal.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20118b?idb=694910690&2500.donation=form1&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1&df_id=2500&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=31B58BEEE55743E085F74B89CA21F9E3&idb=0

B.B. Comer Memorial Library donation here.

https://paypal.me/bbcmlfoundation?locale.x=en_US

A.C.E.S. (Alabama Cooperative Extension System - 4H)

P.O. Box 247

Rockford, AL 35136