MARGARET MARY GILBERT 1923-2014 Margaret Mary Gilbert, 91, formerly of Kailua, Hawaii died Monday, October 6, 2014. Margaret was born on February 12, 1923 in Warwick, Australia. She was preceded in death by her parents, Vincent and Anne Quinlan Smith, older sister, Frances Smith Edmond, and husband, Jack Darwin Gilbert. She is survived by her children, Gary D. Gilbert, Jacqueline Anne Van Hook, and Lee Frances Clarkin, and by her eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. At the age of 20, Margaret secured a secretarial position in the Philippines with the U.S. Government. There, she met her husband, Jack, who she supported as a military wife through his 21-year career as a U.S. Air Force pilot. They ultimately settled in Hawaii. While Jack passed in 1981, Margaret continued to live in the Islands for another 30 years. Margaret loved traveling and was fascinated with genealogical research. She was also an avid reader and ardent letter writer. Margaret's creativity was expressed through Japanese flower arranging with Ikebana International both in Japan and in Hawaii. She was a Master Teacher from the Sogetsu School and often created arrangements for Washington Place. As a dedicated, 25-year Red Cross volunteer, she shared this joy for flower arranging at Tripler Army Medical Center and Fisher House. Health considerations made it necessary for Margaret to move to Williamsburg, Virginia in 2011 to be near her children. Interment is planned at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in November.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
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