Margaret Jean Beauchamp

1936 - 2024

Margaret Jean March 21, 1936 - Beauchamp

Margaret Beauchamp, 88, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully, with family by her side, on May 3, 2024.

Margaret was born March 21, 1936, in Kirkland, Washington, to Oliver and Delphine Hendrickson. The family later moved to the Greenlake/Ballard area of Seattle where her brother, Charles John, was born. Margaret attended St John's Elementary, Holy Angels Academy and Ballard High School, before matriculating on to Central Washington State College. As a freshman, she met her future husband Mel Beauchamp when she attended a dance where he was playing standup bass in the band. They were married in 1956 and enjoyed their years in Ellensburg and Wapato where Marge and Mel served as "parents" for a dormitory of fun-loving male students, Marge was named homecoming queen, and most impressively, she finished her degree with three young children at home.

The family moved to Lynnwood, Washington for five years and Mel taught school in the Edmonds School District while Marge kept busy with her children (now four) at home. They moved to Marysville in 1967 where Mel taught briefly before beginning his career as an elementary principal at Sunnyside and Marshall Elementary Schools. Marge provided immeasurable support to her husband and children in all their activities during this time while also having the initiative to work as a substitute teacher and eventually, resume her teaching career, accepting positions in the Granite Falls and Marysville School Districts.

Upon Mel's retirement, the couple spent the next thirty years traveling the country in their beloved Westphalia Volkswagen van, seeing the world on cruises and various Rick Steve's tours, visiting their children and grandchildren on both coasts, biking over mountain passes and backroads, volunteering at the local food bank, and simply relaxing on their back patio.

Personal history aside, Margaret ("my Margie" to Mel) was a sparkling gem of a person. She had a lust for life and an effervescence that all who knew her recognized and cherished. She was so cheerful and interested in others and had a way of making those around her feel genuinely loved and appreciated. She retained her beautiful smile and kind demeanor to the last moments of her well-lived life.

Margaret was pre-deceased by her husband of 66 years, Melvin Beauchamp, in 2022. She is survived by her son, Michael Beauchamp (Kathy), daughters Michele Kloke (Dennis), Renée Bosco (Richard), and Beth Beauchamp (Michael), twelve grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, with the fourteenth "on the way."

The family wishes to extend their thanks to the staffs at Brookdale Senior Living (Stanwood), Puget Sound Dialysis Center (Smokey Point) and Providence Hospice. A private celebration of Margaret's life will be held for the family at a later date. (If you wish to make a donation in Margaret's name, please do so to your local food bank).