Marguerite Helen Zumbado

Marguerite Neal Zumbado was born February 7, 1936, in Gorgas Hospital, Ancon, Panama Canal Zone, to Gerald L. and Virginia M. Neal. She is survived by Robert her adoring husband of 31 years and friend of 70 years, her son Joseph A. Robles of Columbia, SC and his wife Beth, her daughter Esther R. Aronson of Avon, CT and her husband Stephen, step daughter Sandra Z. Herbert and her husband Andy of Huber Heights, OH, and step daughter Deborah L. Zumbado of Alpharetta, GA, as well as twelve grand children and three great grand children.

A 1954 graduate of Balboa High School, Balboa Canal Zone, Captain of the cheerleaders, and member of the Panama Canal Society of Florida, she hosted gala reunions from 1989 to 2014 which included the 1954 classmates of the rival Cristobal High School, Cristobal Canal Zone. In 1998 Marguerite and Bob joined a group of Zonians in founding the Panama Canal Museum of Florida to preserve the history of the American Era of the Panama Canal. She devoted many years to raising funds for the museum by working on and chairing a very profitable silent auction.

Her work with class reunions and the museum was important to her, but her most cherished activities were doting on her Marine Corps “hubby” Bob, spoiling her children and grand children and golfing. At the age of 50 she took up golf and became so proficient that over time she carded three holes in one. She loved golfing with Bob and his gang of 24 plus male golfers at Winter Pines Golf Course

Winter Park, FL, all of whom loved her for her sweet personality and because she knew the rules and etiquette of the game, swung the club like a guy and could even beat some of them straight up.

Always one to create memories for others, she held annual family gatherings over the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. For many years her home was filled with the joyful noise of those memorable reunions as everyone came to Orlando from Connecticut, South Carolina, Ohio, and Georgia for the holidays. Another outlet for her energy was driving all over Florida and cross country stopping to see friends and historical sites as well as playing any golf course along the way. Other travels included what she dubbed her 30 day summer tour to see the children and grandkids in their own home states. The highlights of her travels were a Caribbean cruise, trips to Culpeper, Virginia and Panama City, Panama, for the weddings of Joe and Beth Robles and then Esther and Steve Aronson and two other trips to Panama to visit old friends and places of her childhood days.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009, she never lost her fighting spirit and bright smile as she battled the disease mightily until succumbing to it and related health issues on May 12, 2019, Mother’s Day, with her husband and adoring children at her side. A memorial service will be held 11 A.M., Sunday May 19, 2019, at Baldwin-Fairchild Conway Chapel, 1413 South Semoran Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32807. The burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, at a time to be announced later. The family requests that donations be given to the Panama Canal Museum Collection at the Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida; their website is https://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/pcmc/index.aspx