THE HUSBAND'S STORY

Margaret Schultz, 92, died peacefully of natural causes at her home on April 25, 2020.

The bereaved at bedside were her husband of 72 years, Bob; her daughter Janet; her younger brother Johnny; a family friend Dick Tetreault; and, in spirit, her son David who preceded her in death two years earlier.

Marge was born on February 27, 1928 in Pennsylvania, about 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. In 1946 she graduated from High School, where earlier she had met Bob at a school dance. They were married two years later. Shortly afterward they moved to Detroit. Marge quickly began the search for a better paying job to supplement their income during Bob’s formal education under the GI Bill.

In Detroit, Marge found employment at Chrysler Corporation. She started as a stenographer, was promoted to secretary, and promoted again to executive secretary (which included periodic duties for the CEO) -- all in about three years.

When her husband joined General Electric Lamp Division in Cleveland in the mid-1950s, Marge of course accompanied him. Indirectly, GE became aware that Marge was an experienced secretary, and they inquired if she might be interested in joining GE in that capacity. She was, and she accepted their offer. Later when GE heard that Marge had modeled for a department store, they inquired again. This time they asked if she would be willing to pose for promotional photos regarding some of GE’s household and automotive lighting applications. She agreed.

In 1958, Marge’s husband left GE for a position with the General Motors Research Laboratories just outside of Detroit. This began a new phase of settled-down living for the couple in their future roles as homeowners and parents of the above two children.

Marge was a loving wife and a devoted mother (she adored babies, so it was a major disappointment to her that she had no grandchildren). Still she was happy staying home with her immediate family. However, being an excellent cook and hostess, she also looked forward to entertaining and socializing with friends and relatives. Marge especially enjoyed playing bridge as a member of the women’s Village Club of Bloomfield Hills, where competitive bridge sessions were held regularly.

Among Marge’s favorite activities were gardening (she won first prize in a related community contest), dining out, and dancing to the 1940’s “Big Band” music of Glenn Miller, Harry James, Benny Goodman, etc. And she danced nimbly whether the music was relaxed or swinging.

Equally high on Marge’s activity list was golfing. She felt that being out on a beautiful golf course with close friends was almost like being in paradise. From time to time she, Bob, and other couples spent weekends together lodging at not-too-distant golf resorts.

But probably what pleased her most was traveling. At one time, Marge and her husband were fortunate enough to belong to a flying travel club known as the “Nomads,” based at Detroit Metro airport. As Nomads, they toured fascinating sites around the globe for several years. But that club no longer exists, as eventually happens to all things . . . and all people.

In her journey through life, Marge could hold her head high. She was a warm, friendly, caring woman with a terrific sense of humor. She will be deeply missed; we will be ever saddened without her.



THE DAUGHTER'S STORY

My mom was beautiful, smart, and had a playful sense of humor.

She was many things - daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. She was den mother, house manager, head chef, gardener, party organizer, vacation planner, tooth fairy, Santa’s helper, the Easter bunny, and a shoulder to cry on.

While never a grandmother, she did have several grand dogs and adored and spoiled them like a good grandma should. Over the years we had fish, turtles, a cat, a dog, and even a duckling. She loved animals and would excitedly remark on the first robin of spring and other garden visitors. Our baby duckling followed her around the kitchen flapping its feet on the ceramic tile in her wake. When she found a bunny nest in the yard, she ran in the house, grated fresh carrots, and placed them near the nest checking often to see if they needed more snacks. She earned the trust of the backyard squirrels, calling them with a surprisingly good imitation of a squirrel chirp. They would come to the patio door where she handed them crackers spread with peanut butter.

She took pride in her home and had a talent for interior design. The right accessory was always in the right place purchased from an antique store, department store, school auction, flea market or the church bizarre. It did not matter where she found it, it just had to inspire her in some way and then she would find the perfect spot to display it. The yard was filled with colorful flowers lining the walkways and spilling out of window boxes. She had the biggest ferns on the block.

Always interested in fashion, she was elegantly dressed for every occasion. High heels and hats of every color filled her closet and she wore them with flair and perfectly matched handbags. Her hair was artfully arranged in the latest style and no ensemble was complete without the right accessory. She had yards of scarves and miles of belts in every print and hue. She liked anything that twinkled and reflected the light, so she often had a shimmer of gold or a flash of sequins on her outfits topped off with beautiful jewelry. She was elegant and stylish with a sparkle.

Cocktail hour was strictly observed with ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS. Martinis at 5:30 were a must. This time was spent nibbling on a few snacks, and reminiscing, planning the future, or just sharing thoughts of the day. It was fun for her and she looked forward to the evening ritual every day.

Aside from a disastrous attempt at split pea soup that she could never live down, she was an excellent cook. She spent hours flipping pages of fancy food magazines and clipping recipes from the newspaper. She collected and shared her favorite finds with friends and her brother Johnny. Whether it was meatloaf with the family or Steak Madagascar for a dinner party, she prepared thousands of meals with love and care on paper plates or fine china.

Holidays (especially Christmas) filled her with the excitement of a child. Every corner of the house was tastefully adorned with a decoration of the season. Homemade candies and cookies shaped like hearts, bunnies, stars, turkeys, and Christmas trees were lovingly created and presented for every occasion. She would sneak into our bedrooms at night and place Easter baskets and presents on our nightstands, so we were greeted with a surprise when we awakened on special days. She was always the first person to call and sing happy birthday to you. Her excitement was contagious, and she inspired us to see the joy in all seasons.

She liked Westerns like her father. She had a crush on Gregory Peck, thought Marshall Dillon was the perfect honorable man and Clint Eastwood the epitome of tough guy generally righting wrongs. Dancing made her happy. Jitterbugging with her brother Johnny for fun or held closely by the love of her life, she was in her element kicking up her heels on the dance floor or gliding across the living room in her bare feet. Big Band music, mainly Glenn Miller, was her favorite. Even while seated, she would bop to the beat and play air keyboard on the kitchen table. Singing was not her gift but when she sang and everyone cringed, she doubled over laughing at herself. In fact, I am sure she sang for the joy of watching the reaction of her family.

She had wonderful friendships. In high school, she and Beverly were always together. Even though their paths led them to different parts of the country, they remained close all their lives. When too much time had gone by, they would meet each other smiling, laughing (snorting), clasping arms, twirling in a circle, and jumping up and down. They maintained this greeting tradition well into their 80s. While the jumping and twirling lacked the height attained during their youth, the genuine enthusiasm was the same. She bowled, played Bridge, golfed, and cherished the time spent with the Pentwater girls.

She met my father in high school. He was the love of her life and they were inseparable for over 75 years. My father recalls first seeing her when she was in 9th grade and he was hooked. They were a striking couple with movie star looks. They had their own language filled with private jokes and intentional mispronunciations. Laughter was a big part of their relationship. Once, they literally bumped into each other unexpectedly in the same greeting card store searching for the other’s anniversary card. They exchanged cards in the aisle, read them, laughed, returned the cards to the rack, and went home chuckling about it. That story was told over and over for years.

They had mini adventures all over the world making friends wherever they went. They rode camels in the shadow of the Great Pyramid, drank Yagona from coconut shells with a Fijian tribal chief, played Morra with the locals in Florence, got a speeding ticket near Nice, and were invited to follow the waitstaff of a restaurant in Florida to an afterwork party. From the cobblestones of Europe, to the sands of the Caribbean, to holding hands on the living room couch, they simply enjoyed being with each other. They had a certain magic and the comfort of a long and loving union. They kissed each other and said “I love you” every day and they meant it.

Ten things you probably did not know about Margaret Schultz:
• She could recite the entire Gettysburg Address.
• Lavender Roses were her favorite.
• She never got a speeding ticket.
• Carol Burnett was her favorite comic – especially, the “Gone with the Wind” scene.
• Her favorite color was orange.
• She loved “The Blues Brothers” movie and would cry laughing every time she saw it.
• “Wuthering Heights” was her favorite book.
• Roast Beef, mashed potatoes and gravy was her favorite meal.
• She would send us to bed, make homemade popcorn, and wait for us to excitedly come back downstairs for the treat and TV show.
• She once grabbed a brown bag lunch to take on a road trip only to find it was a bag of onions when it was time to eat.

She touched the lives and hearts of many and will be missed by all who knew her.