Margaret Ann Whitaker

Margaret Ann Whitaker, age 83, of Grants Pass, died Friday, July 15, 2011 at her home.

A private Celebration of Life will occur in Montana. After one final road trip Margaret will be interned at Forestvale Cemetery, Helena, Montana, with her parents and grandparents . Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Margaret Ann was born August 24th 1927 in Helena, Montana. She was the only child of George Leonard and Grace Norris Kleve. She grew up in Helena and attended Helena High School, graduating in 1945. After high school, she attended and graduated from secretarial school in Spokane Washington.

In 1946 Margaret married and moved to Billings, Montana with her husband and started a family. While living in Billings she worked for the City Police Department. After fourteen years in Billings, Margaret moved back to Helena where she was employed by Kaiser Cement as an Administrative Assistant. Margaret and her family moved to Bellevue, Washington in 1969. During her years in Bellevue she became a Real Estate Agent, selling real estate for the John L. Scott Real Estate firm and in 1977 she took an Administrative Assistant position with Rainier Bank of Seattle which was later acquired by Bank of America. She retired from Bank of America 1992.

Margaret married Earl J. Whitaker in 1992. They bought a home in Eugene, Oregon but also spent winters in Palm Springs, California where Earl preceded her in death in 1995. After Earl’s death Margaret made Eugene her permanent home. In 2006 Margaret moved to Grants Pass, Oregon to be closer to her family.

Volunteer work was always important to Margaret. She was active in the Junior Woman’s Club in the 1950s. After her retirement she volunteered with the Pink Ladies at the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and Meals on Wheels in the Eugene/Springfield area. Margaret also enjoyed spending volunteer time at the Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene as a Cattery Companion.

Her hobbies included golfing, reading, gardening, cooking, baking and collecting cookbooks. She also loved music and amassed a large collection of LPs, tapes and CDs. She was always ready to go on road trips. Her favorite destinations included golf courses, the homes of family and friends and/or the coasts of Oregon and Washington states. Entertaining family and friends was another activity enjoyed by Margaret. She regularly attended the Episcopal Church, having joined the church in her early twenties.

Survivors include three daughters, Stephanie Mehus of Boulder, Montana, Kimberlee Stevens of Grants Pass, and Janice Talkington of Lakebay, Washington; two sons, David Torgerson of Helena, Montana and Stephen Torgerson of Ballard, Washington; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.