Margaret A. Chambers

Margaret A. Chambers passed away peacefully with her children by her side on February 25, 2019 in her sister's home in Falls Church, Virginia, after battling pancreatic cancer for 8 months. For the past 6 years right up until her final illness, Margaret actively enjoyed her life in a senior independent living community in Arlington, Virginia, and in visits to California to spend time with her children and grandchildren. Margaret was born in Atlantic, Iowa to the late Rev. Richard Paul and Margaret Alice Chambers. Most of her growing up years were spent in Red Oak, Iowa, where in 1946 her father became minister of the First Presbyterian Church. A member of the Red Oak High School Class of 1956, Margaret went on to complete her B.A. degree in 1960 from the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, and her M.A. degree in 1962 from the University of Michigan. After beginning her career teaching English abroad in the American College for Girls in Istanbul, Turkey, Margaret relocated to the Washington, D.C. area, where she advanced rapidly in her work developing the Teacher Corps program for what has since become the U.S. Department of Education. During this time, Margaret met, and on July 2nd 1971 married, her late husband, Paul Collins. When Paul later accepted a professorship at California State University Hayward, Margaret and Paul moved to Castro Valley, California, where they both continued to teach, consult and lead in the field of education, and where their son, Richard, and daughter, Nicole, were born and raised. In 1995 after Paul retired and their children were grown, Margaret accepted a position as Director for the University of Maryland System Institute for Distance Education, and they moved back to the East Coast, where Paul, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, also had close family ties. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Vass Collins, on February 20, 2010. She is survived by son, Richard Paul Collins, and grandson, Dominic Richard Collins-Hall (San Francisco, CA); daughter, Margaret "Nicole" Collins, grandson, Justin Michael Iglesias, and his father, Michael Justin Iglesias (Castro Valley, CA); and step-daughters, Paula Louise Collins (NYC) and Pamela Eileen Collins (WDC). Margaret's 3 younger sisters and their children and grandchildren to whom she was renowned "Aunt Annie," also survive her—Jean Chambers Sidley, Jean's husband, Bill Zuckerman, her son, Taki Sidley, his wife, Allison, and their daughters, Thalia and Tess, and her daughter, Jennifer Sidley, and Jennifer's daughter, Maeve (Alexandria, VA); Mary Chambers and her son, David Hopewell, and his wife, Victoria (Falls Church, VA); and Susan Chambers (Iowa City, IA), her daughter, Sarah Wolffis (Chicago, IL.) and Sarah's father, Craig Wolffis (Spring Lake, MI). Friends and family are invited to join in a celebration of life service and reception for Margaret on Tuesday, March 19 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, 555 Water St. S.W., Washington, DC, 20024. A private family celebration of her life and scattering of her ashes will take place in California and in Iowa at a later date. Suggested memorials for those who may wish to donate in Margaret's name are: ACLU, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and/or The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. www.lustgarten.org