Margaret "Meg" Wilber

1945 - 2017

LOUDON – Margaret "Meg" Fricke Wilber, 71, a long-time resident of the Concord/Loudon area, died unexpectedly at her home Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017.  Meg was born in Macon, Ga. on Oct. 13, 1945, to the late Harold Jean Fricke Sr. and the late Beulah Henriette Bassett Fricke.  She attended Avondale High School in Avondale Estates, Ga., graduating in 1963.  In 1967, Meg earned her BA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga.  She went on to earn her Masters of Social Work (MSW), graduating with honors from the University of Connecticut Graduate School of Social Work in Storrs, Conn. in 1985.

Meg was a member of The Academy of Certified Social Workers with over 30 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker. Her career started in Georgia at the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services.  By her mid-twenties she was managing a branch office in a public housing project that was in a rough neighborhood, notorious for crime.   After spending time overseas and in Hawaii, she settled in New Hampshire where she was the Director of Social Services at Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, a psychotherapist at Riverbend Community Mental Health Inc in Concord, and one of the founding partners of Capital Valley Counseling Associates, Inc (CVCA) also in Concord.  Meg had great compassion for her clients and would often spend countless hours counseling them after work and on weekends if they were in crisis.  Although Meg's professional experience was diverse, she was especially focused in the areas of step-parenting and blended families, abusive relationships, alcoholism and dementia.

Meg also worked with her husband, Dean Wilber, building their maple sugaring business, Mapletree Farm in East Concord.  She was a member of the NH and VT Maple Producers Associations.  After retiring from CVCA in May 2015, Meg spent more time helping Dean, especially with labeling and packaging maple products.  When somebody stopped by to buy syrup in person, it was often Meg who helped them.  She really enjoyed interacting with the customers one-on-one and hearing their stories.

Meg adored her family and establishing traditions.  The Christmas Eve dinner was one of the first traditions she established with Dean and his children.  She enjoyed it even more so once the grandkids were born.  Another significant tradition that lasted over 20 years was having the entire family get together for "Christmas in July" in Island Pond, Vt. for a vacation of water sports, relaxing, biking, loon watching, ice cream making, storytelling and endless pictures.  This was an opportunity for Meg to catch-up with the granddaughters whom she was extremely proud of and had enjoyed watching from their birth into their adulthood.   Meg's pets were part of the family, so often a dwarf rabbit or one of Meg's toy poodles made the annual trip.  Not only did Meg love her pets over the years (cats, dogs, rabbits) but she also loved her "Grandkitties" and "Granddogs."  

As a young girl, Meg enjoyed riding her bike; this love continued as an adult and she had many biking adventures with Dean.  After marrying him, she developed a greater appreciation for the water, especially kayaking and hanging out on their dock at Hot Hole Pond in Loudon.  Meg also had been an avid tennis player and had played on courts around the world.  In addition to the family trips to Vermont, Meg enjoyed traveling the Northeast Kingdom with Dean exploring antique and gardening shops.   Gardening was one of Meg's passions.  Her roses and orchids were her pride and joy.  A nature lover, she was an avid bird watcher and had learned many of their calls.  She had great patience and demonstrated it with her cross-stitch and crossword and jigsaw puzzles.  Technology expanded her ability to challenge herself and her iPad and iPhone were loaded with educational apps and podcasts.  Meg loved her piano and looked forward to her lessons.  She appreciated a variety of music and enjoyed watching live performances whether outside at a favorite folk venue in East Sullivan or inside in a more formal setting.  She liked to share the performances she was appreciating with her loved ones.  

Meg was predeceased by her mother, Beulah Henriette Bassett Fricke and her father, Harold J Fricke Sr.  Surviving are her loving husband of 37 years, Dean E Wilber and her beloved cat, Keiki of Loudon; her stepson, Spencer Mitchel Wilber of Canterbury; her daughter-in-law, Karen E. Wilber of Bow; her stepson, Christen B. Wilber and daughter-in-law, Jennifer C. Wilber both of Eliot, Maine; her stepdaughter, Deborah Kye Power and son-in-law, David J Power Jr. both of Candia; her granddaughters, Paige A. Wilber, Riley I. Wilber, Piper K. Wilber and Allison S. Wilber; her brother, Harold Jean Fricke Jr. and his wife, Linda; her nephew, Daniel Fricke and his wife, Andrea and their son, Evan; her adopted parents, Earl and Anne Wilson; her surviving aunts, Marise Brink and Patsy Hilliard; various cousins including, Deb Brink and Marise Forbes; and many close friends and colleagues.

A celebration of Meg's life will take place on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m. at Bennett Funeral Home, 209 N Main St., Concord.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Meg's name be made to the Pope Memorial SPCA, 94 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301 or to the Loudon Fire Department Rescue Squad, 55 S. Village Road, Suite 5, Loudon, NH 03307 or to the Loudon Food Pantry, 30 Chichester Road, Unit D, Loudon, NH 03307.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Bennett Funeral Home of Concord.  Online condolences can be expressed at bennettfuneral.com.