Margaret Huber Rowe passed away peacefully in her home on Oct. 14, 2023.
Margaret (Margie) was born Nov. 29, 1926 in the backseat of her grandfather’s taxi atop Lady Bend Hill, between Barnesville, Ohio, and the hospital in Wheeling, W.Va. She lived in Barnesville, later moving to Pittsburgh, Pa., and Mamaroneck, N.Y. In 1948 she received her degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania where she met her future husband.
In 1950 she married George Rowe and they settled in the Bucks County area: first in Carversville, then as caretakers of the Wrightstown Friends’ Meeting, eventually building a home in Wycombe. Throughout their 70-year marriage George and Margie’s lives centered on their Quaker values with Wrightstown Friends’ Meeting and through their work as educators in Friends’ schools. Camping, hiking and birdwatching were favorite activities.
She taught second grade at Buckingham Friends School for over 40 years where her basement classroom extended to the woods just outside the windows allowing her love of nature to become a part of her students’ education.
Mom was known by a few differing names, some that she created for various aspects of her life;
Margie - If you knew her as Margie, you knew she was a kind and gentle soul with an impish sense of humor that popped up when you least expected it. She was a talented, creative and accomplished quilter (a founding member of Quilters Anonymous), a knitter and a lover of music. She loved her reading group of friends from Wrightstown Meeting. In a large group she was very happy to stay on the fringes or preferably disappear.
Mrs. McGillicuddy, The Chief Cook and Bottle Washer - Margie ran the house and cared for her family while teaching full time for 25 years. Soon after their 25th anniversary she declared that she had done the cooking for the first 25 years and now it was George’s turn. George loved his role as head chef but Margie retained the therapeutic task of washing dishes. After a total of 50 years together they simply ate out a lot, Cross Keys Diner being one of their favorite haunts.
Aunt Woodsy - She loved nature and the out of doors. Many orphaned animals: cats, dogs, bunnies, birds, raccoons, possums, squirrels and snakes found their way into her care. You could depend on her to identify any flowers you found but if you were too cocksure or arrogant with your perceived abilities she would make up flower names to trip you up. She loved hiking and camping so much she slept on the porch as often as she could – well into her 80’s.
Mrs. Macadoo - Much to the frustration of her young children, Katherine Rowe of Foxboro, Mass., Elizabeth Rowe (James Yelk) of Columbus, Wis., and Bill (Linda) Rowe of Buckingham, Pa., when Margie donned her special hat, she no longer answered to the call of “Mom” and it was up to us to welcome Mrs. Macadoo and be gracious hosts.
Margie and George are survived by their three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who invite you to join in a celebration of their lives in a memorial service 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at Wrightstown Friends’ Meeting, 535 Durham Road, Newtown PA 18940.
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com.
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