Margo Elaine Hewett passed away March 23 at the age of 47. In life she was surrounded by friends and family members who loved her and cherished her smile, her love of people, her determination, and her laugh.
When she was born with Down Syndrome on March 30, 1972, doctors told her parents, Lois and Herbert F. Hewett, that she should be institutionalized. They refused, and Margo went on to live a joy-filled life, independently, touching a lot of people in a meaningful way.
She graduated from John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City and worked at Urban Market at 50 Penn Place for many years. She was a dancer and a poet and loved music. She waved and smiled at everyone she passed. Those who knew her will remember her as imaginative, curious, mischievous, funny, fun-loving, stubborn, helpful, and gentle. She knew so many people around Oklahoma City that her parents often felt like they were in the presence of a celebrity.
Margo loved to dance with MAGICAYAH and Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan and perform in the Paseo Arts District; she performed with these groups for 27 years. MAGICAYAH, which stands for Multi-Sensory Arts Grow Inside Children and the Young At Heart, was a troupe that included people who are physically, developmentally, and learning disabled. She also had the vision for and led the creation of a collaborative art project called “Sea Diversity: Unity in a Diverse Sea” for the 10th annual Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibit at Science Museum Oklahoma.
She attended First Unitarian Church in Oklahoma City, and at the time of her death, she was living at Storey Oaks in Oklahoma City under the care of Healing Hearts Hospice.
Margo is survived by her mother, Lois Hewett, 88, Oklahoma City; her sister Heather Hewett, Sleepy Hollow, NY; and her half-sisters, Mara Hewett, Oklahoma City, and Vanessa Wardi, Atlanta.
A private family graveside ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Memorial Park Cemetery, 13313 N Kelley Ave, Oklahoma City. It will be streamed via Facebook Live. To view her service, see her Facebook Live event on Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper’s page.
Donations may be made in Margo’s name to the Special Olympics, 1133 19th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20036, https://www.specialolympics.org/
