64, of Tampa, Florida, passed away on April 22, 2021. She was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and grew up in Forrest City, Arkansas. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her juris doctor from the University of Florida, Frederic G. Levin College of Law. She was a devoted member of Hyde Park United Methodist Church and served on its board of directors. She was an active member of The Athena Society and served as its president. Margaret was loving, outgoing, intelligent, and humorous; she was also a positive, can-do, make-it-happen type of person. One of her most endearing qualities was that she genuinely cared about people both in her personal and professional lives. She was a loving mother to her two children, Arlyn and Carter, and a loving wife to Scott Ilgenfritz. She was over the moon about her two grandchildren, Ginny and Henry. Margaret had an incredibly successful legal career. For most of her career she was Board Certified in Admiralty and Maritime Law by The Florida Bar. When harbor pilots from around the state had an incident, they knew who to call for help, Margaret. She retired from the Akerman law firm in 2019. In 2016, her peers in the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA) recognized her as the 2016 Outstanding Lawyer of the Year. In 2017, the HCBA Trial and Litigation Section recognized her with the Michael A. Fogarty In The Trenches Award for her stellar career as a civil litigation attorney. Margaret's legal career was about so much more than her success as a lawyer. She gave back to her profession in so many ways, and she supported and mentored countless attorneys. She was a trailblazer and role model for female attorneys. She served as president of the Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers and president of the HCBA. She served on and chaired the board of directors of Bay Area Legal Services. In 1998, she was the recipient of The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Award. She served on and chaired the board of directors of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation. She served for 8 years on the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Margaret was preceded in death by her mother, Virginia Rhea Gattinger; her father, Lawrence Glenn Mathews, Sr.; and her brother Lawrence Glenn Mathews, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Arlyn Gilmore (Kirk); her son, Carter Ilgenfritz; Scott Ilgenfritz; her sister, Arlyn Mathews Hawley (Al); her siblings, Sue Gattinger Farris (Cole); David Gattinger (Kathy); and many nieces, nephews, and friends. The family will host a visitation on April 29, 2021, at 6:00 pm at Blount & Curry Funeral Home at 605 South MacDill Avenue. The funeral service will take place at 11:00 am on April 30, 2021, at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Please be aware that seating is limited. Guests are encouraged to view the service online at hydeparkumc.org/MargaretMathews. A reception will be held at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Bay Area Legal Services, or the Community Foundation for the Athena Society Women's Educational Fund.
