Margaret U. "Marka" Huffman

Margaret U. Huffman November 28, 1930 - October 6, 2009 ARLINGTON, VA— Margaret U. "Marka" Huffman, 78, a homemaker, second-generation Army wife, and volunteer, died October 6, 2009 at her home at The Jefferson in Arlington, VA, from complications of cancer. Margaret Katherine Uncles was born at West Point, NY on November 28, 1930, daughter of the late Elizabeth Bowman Banks Uncles, a native of Columbus, GA and the late Lt. Gen. John F. Uncles (US Army, Retired). She was a 1947 graduate of the private Holton Arms School and attended Vassar College. While in college, she met and married West Point Class of 1941, graduate, the late Burnside E. Huffman MG, US Army (Ret.), also a native of Columbus, GA. It was thanks to her mother and her future mother-in-law, Lucy Watson Smithers, that she and Burnside were introduced during the Christmas holidays of 1949 and true love that caused them to be married the following summer. She enjoyed her many friends and activities. She was an active member of the Colonial Dames of America, Chapter 3 and served on numerous committees over the years. She was a long-time member of the Army-Navy Country Club and the Rock Spring Garden Club both in Arlington. She was an avid bridge player and gourmet cook, having attended the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. During her years as an Army wife, she took part in many volunteer activities in support of the day to day life of Army families. Among many other things, she was the Girl Scout Representative for USA Girl Scouts Far East (Korea 1966-1968). She was the Chairperson of Volunteers at Fort Bragg, NC (1968-1970), Chairperson of Volunteers at Henderson Hall at Arlington, VA (1970-1973), and Chairperson of the Blood Mobile in Fort Monroe, VA (1973-1975). During her years at Vassar, she was a member of the Daisy Chain (1948). She modeled in many charity fashion shows, taking great delight in walking the runway to raise funds for Army-related non-profit groups. She frequently appeared in the lifestyle pages of the Columbus Ledger, modeling the latest fashions. She was buried at West Point with her late husband of 55 years. She is survived by four children (Lucy Ballard Ð Redwood City, CA; Elizabeth Trabucco Ð Bethesda, MD; Rebecca McElroy Ð Raleigh, NC: John Huffman Ð Arlington, VA) and seven grandchildren.