Margaret Quinn Orloske

American History Buff

It is not easy to prepare an entire Thanksgiving meal, from turkey to pies, over an open fire. But every year, Margaret Quinn Orloske made it look easy. Using only cast iron pots, trivets and a brick oven, Mrs. Orloske and her husband, Duane, cooked their Thanksgiving dinner — and many other meals — in the cooking hearth of their home, a reproduction of an 18th-century house with period details but modern appliances.

A lifelong American history buff, Mrs. Orloske was transported daily from the world of five-count ovens and antique woodwork to one of electronic networks and information management, as she traveled two and a half hours each way to her job as a vice president at Marsh & McLennan.

Mrs. Orloske enjoyed her work enough to make the commute, but she also loved returning to her dream home in Windsor, Conn. "I think the 18th century was her refuge," Mr. Orloske said. "It was such a contrast to what her everyday life was like."

A former librarian, Mrs. Orloske, 50, was a born organizer. The details of an annual trip in December were worked out by Labor Day.

"We even knew during the summer where we were going to eat every night," said her friend Jean Mayhew, who, with her husband, often visited historic places with the Orloskes and their son, Stephen, 19. "She was a most unusual woman," Mrs. Mayhew added. "No matter what she did, she did it well."

In December, Mrs. Orloske's former boss, Tim Brady, and his wife, Bernadette, had a daughter. They named her Margaret. As a gift, Mr. Orloske presented the couple with a quilt his wife, ever the planner, had picked out for them months before. "It's something she'll always be able to have," said Mr. Brady. "From a woman she'll never be able to meet."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on April 14, 2002.


Margaret Quinn Orloske, loving wife, mother, daughter, friend, neighbor and colleague was lost, and is now presumed deceased, as a result of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Tuesday (September 11, 2001). She is remembered for her good nature, integrity, professionalism, and her caring for others. Born and raised in Trumbull Connecticut, she settled in Windsor, with her husband of 26 years, Duane A. Orloske, director of the Student Center at C.C.S.U.; and their son, Stephen, currently a sophomore at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD. She is also survived by her mother, Sylvia Quinn of Trumbull. Resident of Windsor since 1990, she was active in The League of Women Voters, member of the board for the Capital Region Library Council, and active in many located service projects benefiting women's issues. She received her Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of Connecticut and her Master's Degree in Library Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation she became the corporate librarian for Timex Corp. and then manager of various information and service operations for Travelers Insurance in Hartford were she also served as chairperson for the company's annual United Way Campaign. Margaret was a vice-president for Marsh & McLennan Companies in New York, where her office was on the 96th floor of World Trade Center 1. Her daily commute from Windsor to New York City, NY was a testimony not only to her love of her work but her dedication and love for her family and the many people with whom she worked. The numerous cards received by the family, following the tragedy, were filled with remarks of the caring she showed others and the difference she had made in the lives of so many. There will be a memorial service held for Margaret at Saint Gabriel's Church in Windsor, on Saturday, October 6, at 11:30 a.m. Saint Gabriel's Church is located on Route 159, Broad Street, in Windsor. Take exit 36 off of Route I-91N. Go right off the exit onto Route 178. Go about 1 mile until you come to Rt. 159. Go left on Rt. 159. Saint Gabriel's Church is about ¾ of a mile on your right just before you enter downtown Windsor. Margaret and her husband have been long time members of Historic Deerfield Museum of New England History and Art. They loved the study and preservation of 18th Century American Architecture and Lifestyle. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her memory to Historic Deerfield, in memory of Margaret Orloske, c/o Development Office, PO Box 321, Deerfield, MA 01342