Margaret Jewett Head Hummel

Margaret Jewett Head Hummel was born on October 27, 1936 in Wilmington, NC to William Gwynne Head and Frances Jewett Head. She was the youngest of three children. Her sister was Jane Head Guthrie and her brother was William Gwynne Head Jr. (both deceased).

She grew up in her family home on Hewlett's Creek, known to many as "The Pines." As a child she loved reading and art, and she really enjoyed going to the Carolina Yacht Club and socializing with her friends and schoolmates. She graduated from New Hanover High School in 1954, attended the Women's College of UNC for two years, and received her baccalaureate degree from the University of North Carolina in 1958. Margaret was also active in the Colonial Dames. 

She began dating Thomas Hubert Shannon (d. 1994) in college, and they were married on June 13, 1959. They had two children, Frances "Cissy" Shannon Russell and John Edward Shannon II. The family traveled to follow husband Tom's career in the US Marine Corps, moving frequently to locations including Jacksonville NC, Oceanside CA, Camp Lejeune NC, Springfield VA, Honolulu and Pearl City HI, and Quantico VA. The family returned to Wilmington during his three 13-month tours of duty in Vietnam and Okinawa. During all this time, Margaret managed the household, raising her two children with love and devotion.

On Tom's retirement (as LtCol), the couple returned to Margaret's family home in Wilmington. Margaret started a career as an art teacher at the Helen Alice Higgins Montessori School, where she leveraged her love of art, teaching, and children to make an extraordinary impact on the lives of many young students. She became a grandmother when Cissy's daughter Emily Frances Russell was born in 1988.

A few years after Tom's untimely death in 1994, Margaret reconnected with her childhood sweetheart, William "Bill" Hicks Hummel. They were married in 1997 and enjoyed retired life together, traveling around the country and beyond. During this time, she stayed in touch with her children and grandchild, and she was always grateful to continue living in the family home on the creek. After many years had peacefully passed and Margaret's health began to decline, Cissy came back to live with her, becoming her primary caregiver for the last 7 years of her life.

Margaret passed away on February 26, 2025. She is survived by her husband Bill, daughter Cissy (Lance) and son John (Joan), and granddaughter Emily (Lane). 

Her ashes will be interred at Oakdale Cemetery on April 26 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any memorials go to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (https://lifecare.org/donate/).