Margaret Santore

It is with unbearable sadness we announce the passing of our Mother, Margaret L. Santore, age 96, of Manchester, NJ on Sunday, January 08, 2023. Beautiful, Humble, Loving, Magical, Independent, Practical – a lot of words come to mind but seem to fall short of capturing who she truly was. Margo was born in East Moline, Illinois to Gerritt and Pauline (Buckler) DeWild. She was raised a depression era farm girl in Pella, Iowa, where the values of compassion and charity were instilled in her. Her children’s favorite bedtime stories were filled with her memories of growing-up on the farm, surviving the dust bowl, flood waters and other natural hardships. The farm was also where she learned to be very resourceful – her family jokes that she invented recycling; the idea of reusing and repurposing everything from bread bags to elastic underwear bands was second-nature. The environment and preserving the natural beauty of the world were of paramount importance to her.

At sixteen-years-old, Margo attended Central College in her hometown of Pella. Two years later she ventured away from her family’s small farm to attend Ottawa University in Kansas to pursue her dream of becoming a school teacher. As a child she would line up her doll, her teddy bear, her little brother and even Rags her dog as students in her imaginary classroom. After graduating from Ottawa University in Kansas, she spent time working as a house mother in Seward, Alaska at the Jesse Lee Home for Children and then fulfilled her dream teaching Physical Education and English for several years in Kansas and Iowa.

It was at Ottawa where she met her husband of 65 years, Nicholas. One year, though she did not consider herself popular, she was voted Homecoming Queen and was to be carried into the stadium on a gondola. Nick was one of the men assigned to carry the gondola. His first words to her were “Just how much do you weigh?” as they struggled to lift the gondola. But he told his buddies this was the woman he was going to marry. Margo worked her way thru college in the dining hall kitchen. After her shift, Nick would be there waiting to take her for an ice cream. It became a nightly tradition as they grew old together; she called it her “Memory.” But Margo wanted to be a teacher, and turned down his proposals until ten years and 3 proposals later she finally said yes before being whisked away to New York to become a lifelong teacher to her own family and their friends. They eventually made their home in Lakewood, NJ where they both were a strong presence in the community. Their home was that neighborhood home where all the other kids would end up. She was always present, welcoming, and comforting. She was active in her children’s activities as a 4-H leader, working in halftime concession stands, or just cheering from the stands.

Margo was instrumental in establishing the Christ United Methodist Church in Lakewood and had been a humble servant of the community for many years. She was active in the Church Circle meetings and was a representative at the Methodist Church Conference. Margo’s innate generosity, compassion, and charity were evident through her tireless work for others. With her church family Margo established a library, created a scholarship fund for students, maintained the beautiful memorial garden, and fed hundreds of families from the church’s food pantry.

When they moved to Leisure Village West, Margo joined the Genealogy Club. She was able to trace her Dutch roots back to the 1600’s. We heard countless stories over the years of our ancestors. It was important to her that we knew where we came from.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Nicholas; her parents, her siblings, Charles, Gene, Kenneth, Anna and Donna, and by her daughter Jennifer. She is survived by her children, Jody and her husband Dearl, Laura, Katie, and Frank, her adored grandsons, Dearl Gene, Andrew and Nicholas, and her great-grandson, Eli, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Mom carried a quote from Franklin Delano Roosevelt with her and lived by these words: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

So in lieu of flowers, we ask donations may be made to your favorite charity in her name or to the JPS Scholarship Fund to continue the education of another. Checks may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church (please note in the memo: JPS Scholarship) 678 5th St., Lakewood, NJ 08701.

Services will be private. Arrangements are entrusted to Horizon Funeral & Cremation Services, 1329 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755