Marjorie "Maggie" Devereaux

Ma never saw a wall she didn’t want to knock down. She learned woodworking from her dad and every room of our house was her workshop. She hated cleaning. She was frugal and resourceful and could create a Princess Leia wig out of a ball of yarn and a nylon stocking. To Mom, all animals were good animals; she adopted many. She hated cooking, but for the kids she loved, her signature dish was “little pizzas"— English muffins, cheese, and Ragu. She relied on and appreciated carpooling partnerships, but rarely slowed down to enjoy coffees, drinks, or in-depth conversations with fellow moms. She loved talking about cars. She was fervently patriotic and believed this country should serve immigrants and those in need. She was well-loved among church friends, school friends, and neighbors, but did not make a fuss about compliments, honors, or awards. She would not have much good to say about people she thought were haughty. Humility and self-sufficiency was bred into her from the earliest of days and persisted until the end.

The youngest of three children born to Harold and Anna Hogue, “Midgie” was a source of pride (and curiosity) to her family. She found joy in simple things (“playing in her mind”), getting into mischief, listening to baseball games, and dreaming of faraway cities and tropical islands. She was Salutatorian of the Hornell High Class of 1955, and to her father’s disappointment, decided not to become the local Latin teacher. Instead, she earned her degree as a Registered Nurse at St. James Mercy Hospital in order to make the experience of healthcare better than what she had experienced once as a scared and confused child getting her tonsils out. Once graduated, she took her compassion, skills, and sense of adventure to New York City and Mount Sinai Hospital. She loved NYC. She took away enduring friendships, a crash-course in Yiddish sayings, and a life-changing appreciation for the diversity of cultures and community there. Her adventures continued with a marriage proposal in Jamaica, service as an Air Force officer in Big Springs, Texas, and 47 years “down South” enjoying rocket launches from her driveway on the Space Coast of Florida. Later in life, she would love the simplicity of walks in Levitt Park with the grand-dogs and grandkids. Deeply saddened by the loss of her son to cancer in 2015, she persevered due in large part to her deep and abiding Catholic faith. At 84—resilient, skeptical, and coaxed by her daughters— she managed a trip to Chicago to see her beloved Cubbies at Wrigley Field. Mom never stopped smiling that day, reveling in her own field of dreams.

Mom found the humor in life’s imperfections, the beauty in its oddities, and the joy from a glass of wine, some popcorn, and a movie with her people. She laughed easily, worried often, and loved deeply.

Marjorie is survived by her daughters Ann Devereaux (Michael Levesque), Johanna Devereaux Hedges (Dan Hedges), Mary Devereaux, and Rebecca Devereaux; and her grandchildren Jonathan Bross, Owen Devereaux, Miles Devereaux, Nathan Hedges, and Julia Hedges. She was preceded in death by her son, John Devereaux III (Pepi Devereaux).

A Catholic funeral Mass was held on December 27, 2024, at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Austin, Texas. A virtual Celebration of Life is being held on February 2, 2025. Those wishing to attend should be in contact with her family via email at [email protected].

We miss you, Ma. Thank you for the little pizzas, the homemade Halloween costumes, and the lessons on how to find happiness in the quirks and corners of life.