Margaret Faye Mesirow, age 82, passed away on December 5th 2022 at her beloved home in Portland, Oregon surrounded by her family.
Margaret was born on June 8th 1940 in Pocatello, Idaho to her loving parents Donald and Mary Strawn. She graduated from Pocatello High School in 1958 as 1 of 4 Valedictorians. She relocated to Portland Oregon and attended Reed College graduating in 1962 with a double major in Russian and Russian Literature. She went on to receive her Masters of Arts in Teaching from Reed College in 1964. While attending Reed College she met David S. Mesirow, whom she married in June 1962 and would remain married for 52 years until his passing in 2014.
From 1964-1968 and again from 1971-1972, Margaret taught Language Arts and Russian at Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon. After leaving Cleveland High School in 1972, Margaret began working for the Kobos Company eventually becoming its Human Resources Manager before her retirement in 1998. Her passion for education inspired her to volunteer at Beech Elementary School for 14 years after her retirement.
Margaret had a sharp wit, possessed a keen intellect, was an excellent listener and had a strong moral compass. She was an avid reader, enjoyed listening to “West Coast” jazz, gardening whenever possible and kept meticulous records of everything. She was generous, thoughtful and was always armed with a cheerful smile and ready laugh. She held close her long standing relationships yet delighted in meeting new people. Margaret never forgot where she came from and lived her life in accordance with the strong values and sense of self she learned while growing up in Pocatello.
Margaret is survived by her daughter Catherine Mesirow, son Nicholas Mesirow, daughter-in-law Sharnel Mesirow, grandsons Navin and Suren along with her sister-in-law Louise Mesirow. No services will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances in Margaret’s name to the Oregon Cultural Trust, KMHD (the Portland jazz station) or Planned Parenthood of Columbia/Willamette in keeping with her history of philanthropy.
Margaret will be greatly missed by her family and wide circle of friends.
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