Mary Margaret Takier

Mary Margaret "Marge" Takier

August 15, 1934 - December 18, 2025

Mary Margaret "Marge" Takier was born on August 15, 1934, in Ripley, Tennessee, to Robert E. Kirkess and Gladys N. Walk. In 1951, she moved to Southern California, which became her lifelong home and the center of a life shaped by hard work, music, and community.

Marge began working in 1952 at a vacuum manufacturing plant and, in 1957, started a long career at McDonnell Douglas as a program analyst. Known for her reliability and strong work ethic, she spent 36 years with the company and even joined the assembly line during a labor strike, earning the affectionate description of being a modern-day "Rosie the Riveter."

Music was always central to Marge's life. She loved swing and big band music and developed a deep appreciation for rhythm and feel through listening long before she danced. In the late 1950s, she met her husband, Hal Takier, while dancing socially. They were married in Las Vegas on February 13, 1960, and spent decades dancing together throughout Southern California and beyond, often traveling to hear live big bands at concerts, dance halls, and jazz festivals. They were regulars at venues such as the Disneyland Carnation Pavilion, dancing to the music of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Les Brown, Lionel Hampton, and others.

Beginning in the late 1970s, Marge became the organizer and DJ for weekly swing dance nights at Bobby McGee's restaurants, first in Newport Beach and later in Brea. From approximately 1978 until the venue closed in 2012, she welcomed dancers of all ages, selected the music, and created an atmosphere where people felt comfortable and included. Over time, Bobby McGee's became a beloved gathering place and an important home for swing and Balboa dancing.

As the dance community grew, Marge was invited to teach classes and participate in lectures and discussions at events such as the California Balboa Classic in Pasadena. She became a respected and revered figure in what has since become a worldwide community of people who love Balboa and Los Angeles-style swing dancing. She never sought recognition and often said she was "just playing records," but her steady presence and generosity shaped countless lives.

Marge received a Special Achievement Award for her contributions to the dance community and was inducted into the Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2009 and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2022.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hal Takier, and her sister Peggy Drumwright.

Marge is survived by her sister Shirley O'Connor; her brother Don Kirkess and sister-in-law Nancy Kirkess; her step-son Jerry Takier and daughter-in-law Penny; her step-daughter Kathleen Goo and son-in-law Patrick; and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Those who knew Marge remember her kindness, warmth, sense of humor, and genuine care for others—especially younger people, whom she affectionately referred to as her "kids." She brought people together, introduced swing to a new generation, and made many feel at home through her bright smile, exuberant energy, and vast knowledge of music.