Margaret J. Degenhardt

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.-Margaret J. Degenhardt, of Hilton Head Island, died Monday morning, Nov. 3, 2014 at the Hilton Head Regional Medical Center after a battle with respiratory issues.
She was born in Anderson County, SC, the daughter of the late Ida and Bill Johnston. She graduated from Pelzer High School as the Valedictorian. During her high school years she played on her school's basketball team when they won the South Carolina State Championship. She completed her education at Erskine College where she was May Queen and graduated with honors with a BA in Education and Mathematics. Her career began at Williamston, SC High School where she taught algebra and coached basketball. She owned Degenhardt Orchids for 10 years where she hybridized, grew and sold flowers in Asheville and across the state of North Carolina. She was a founding member of the North Carolina Association for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities and served as the Vice President of the Asheville Area Chapter. She was an avid collector of Irish Belleek china and helped her husband (Richard) form the International Belleek Collector's Society.
She was the wife of the late Richard K. Degenhardt and the mother of the late Margaret Beth Alsup. She is survived by four children Katherine and husband John Adair of Hilton Head Island, Nancy and husband Jim Greider of Dallas, Richard and wife Eve Degenhardt of Dallas, William and wife Cindy Degenhardt of Dallas, and eight grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church, Hilton Head Island, on Friday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. The burial will be on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2:00pm at Shepard Memorial Park in Mountain Home North Carolina between Asheville and Hendersonville.
Memorials may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church, 24 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. Arrangements are entrusted to The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. www.theislandfuneralhome.com