Margaret Elizabeth Barrineau

Margaret (Margie) Elizabeth Hamilton Barrineau, age 92, passed away at Palagio Senior Living on July 4, 2024 following a stroke and long struggle with dementia. She was born July 31,1931 in Baxley, GA to the late John Gaston Hamilton and Maxie Wildes Hamilton. She grew up in Madison, FL and was a 1950 graduate of Madison High School. She was voted Best All Around in her class. She was a cheerleader and was on the basketball team. She attended St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Jacksonville, FL where she loved taking care of patients of all ages, especially children. She even cared for patients in iron lungs. While in nursing school, she met Edwin Barrineau, a young Navy fighter pilot stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, whom she married on Valentine’s Day 1953. She subsequently embarked on a career as a Navy wife. Her family soon grew to include three children, two daughters and a son. As a Navy wife she lived in many duty stations. She especially enjoyed a tour in Japan. She volunteered extensively on behalf of military families and she served as president of the Armed Forces Hostess Association, an information and support service for military families, at the Pentagon, Washington, DC. She lobbied for the rights of military wives and was +recognized by the Secretary of the Army for her successful efforts toward legislation protecting their rights. She was a renowned cook, preparing a range of dishes from classic Southern to French. She completed a course in cooking taught by the Benedictine Sisters in Tokyo, Japan. She entertained often and was known for her hospitality. She collected and restored antiques, upholstered furniture, learned to cane chairs, and won several first-place ribbons for her work in ceramics. She loved to dance and enjoyed live music, especially the folk musicians of St. Augustine. She attended rock concerts even into her eighties. She had a charismatic personality and connected with people everywhere she went. A woman of faith, she was baptized in the Suwanee River.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 61 years, Rear Admiral Edwin Barrineau. She was also predeceased by sisters LaNeve Hamilton Wilson, Edith Hamilton Padgett, and brothers John Hamilton, Elwyn Hamilton, Harold Hamilton, Mercer Hamilton, Benny Hamilton, and Timothy Hamilton. In the years following her husband’s death, she was fortunate to find love again with her cherished childhood friend, Tom Row, whom she met when she was six years old. In addition to Tom, she is survived by her children, Cynthia Barrineau Thiele (Mickey), James Britton Barrineau (Andrea), and Suzanne Barrineau Garman (Mike), as well as grandchildren, Michael Andrew Thiele, Christopher Michael Garman (Tiffany), Gregory Britton Garman, and Aaron Alexander Garman. She is also survived by great-grandchildren Parker Christopher Garman, Scarlett Faye Garman, and Jeremy Patrick Garman.

A special thanks to her caregivers at Home Instead and By Your Side, the memory care staff at Palagio Senior Living, and the staff at VITAS Healthcare.

Margaret Barrineau was a supporter of the Navy-Marine Relief Society.

A visitation for Margaret will be held Wednesday, July 10, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home, 11801 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223. A graveside service will occur Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32218.