Margaret Mary Junker

Margaret Mary (McCarthy) Junker, 96, passed away peacefully in her Glendale home on October 7th, 2025. Margaret is survived by her daughter, Dr. Jessie Junker (Randy Callison), her son, EJ (Ed) Junker (Dr. Karen Tam), her grandchildren Jasmine and Aidan Junker, her brother Dennis McCarthy (Pat), and her sisters Cathleen Czajkowski (Dave) and Rose Bavlnka (David). She is loved by her nieces and nephews, Scott, Kristine, Jennifer, Kelly, Joe, Michael, and their extended families.

Her heavenly journey reunites her with her father, Harold McCarthy; her mother, Jessie Wood McCarthy; her stepmother, Rose Hansen McCarthy; her husband, Ernest V. Junker; and her brother, John McCarthy (Peggy).

Margaret was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on October 10, 1928. She grew up in Shorewood and was a proud graduate of St. Robert School & Shorewood High School Class of 1946.  She followed her mother’s footsteps and graduated from the State Teachers’ College at Milwaukee (now UW-Milwaukee) in 1950. She went on to earn her Master of Arts in Education at Arizona State University in 1963. She continued her educational journey by teaching and counseling in Greeley (CO), Beloit, Watertown, Merrill, Aurora (IL), Tomahawk, Menomonee Falls, and Germantown.

It was at ASU, Margaret met Ernest. In 1957, they celebrated their love with a wedding done in Latin in Tempe, Arizona. They quickly established their family and began their remarkable journey together. Ernest Junker passed away in August of 1981.

Margaret persevered and thrived. She cherished her time as President and Parliamentarian officer of the Delta Kappa Gamma Teacher’s Sorority. She was a long-time member of the Falls Patio Players’ Theatre Group and the Glendale Women’s Club. Margaret was a committed election volunteer and loved driving her green ’68 Olds in the July 4th Glendale and Brown Deer parades. Margaret was a voracious reader… Shakespeare, Michener, and Grafton were in heavy rotation. If she put the books down, she was probably at the bowling alley or the golf course. Her other favorite hobby was, of course, passionately coaching her beloved Green Bay Packers.

Margaret loved to travel. Ireland, Iceland, England, Mexico, Canada, and virtually every island in the Caribbean. She explored numerous elder hostels and national parks as she visited 48 out of the 50 states. From her Ford Foundation Fellowship travels in her 20s, to the Lewis and Clark Trail in her 50s, to several cruises in her 60s, to Disneyworld at 80, and Door County at 90, her voyages were lifelong and fulfilling.

Margaret was a passionate supporter of the Milwaukee County Zoo and the St. Labre Indian School in Montana.

If you had Margaret in your corner, she was your greatest cheerleader. Loyalty, honesty, education, and integrity were not just bullet points, but the true content of her character. She could lift you, motivate you, challenge you and hug you. Her beautiful smile and sparkling blue eyes will be missed.

Visitation will be on Monday, October 13, 2025, at Feerick Funeral Home, 2025 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood, WI 53211, from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Tuesday, October 14, 2025, visitation at St. Robert Catholic Church, 2200 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood, WI 53211, from 9:00 - 10:00 am, followed by Mass of Christian Burial beginning at 10:00 am. Funeral procession will begin after 11:00 am to Holy Cross Cemetery for 11:45 am interment.