Marjorie Thaggard

Marjorie J Thaggard passed away on Friday, March 20, 2015 at the age of 82, at Garden Village Nursing Home, in Yakima, WA. Marge grew up a straight A student and earned 2 scholarships (Music and English) to the University of Massachusetts. During her years at UM she was a spelling bee champion and played in the Boston Symphony. After university she moved to Miami Beach, Florida, where she taught dance lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studio and met a young Marine named Kenneth Thaggard. Ken and Marge married in 1955. Ken and Marge did a lot of traveling and lived all over the world, including: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Zaire, Cameroon, Spain, and New Zealand. Despite these travels, Ken and Marge found ‘home’ to be a mountain – top house in Murphy, NC. A few years after settling, Marge helped begin very successful Toys for Tots program for Murphy and the surrounding towns; something Marge was very proud of. Born in Melrose, Massachusetts on June 4, 1932, Marjorie is predeceased by her only sister, Barbara and her husband, Kenneth. She is survived by: 3 daughters: Karen Hills of Port Ludlow, WA; Linda Harrington, of Boise, ID; and Debra Girard, of Yakima, WA. 6 grandchildren: Kenneth Hills, Chasidy Simpson, Nicole Girard, Daniel Girard, Sara Harrington, and William Harrington Jr. and 7 great grandchildren, Khrissy, Devin, Spencer, Tyke, Kallen, Wyatt, and Aubree. Per Marge’s wishes, there will be no public service, simply a gathering of her family to deliver her ashes back home to Murphy. In lieu of cards or flowers, we are asking that donations be made to either Garden Village Nursing Home or your local Toys For Tots program. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marjorie Thaggard, please visit our flower store.