Obituary of Margaret Todd

Margaret Garman Todd, Margo, as she liked to be called, ever since she became a woman of NYC (well Mineola, but that's pretty close to NYC), a metropolitan woman of high culture who subscribed to The New Yorker for 60+ years, who read the NY Times every day, and who loved a good Martini, was always known to her family and childhood friends as Peggy. She grew up in Canisteo, the second child of Jane Seafuse Garman and Howard P Garman, born on January 22, 1928. She had an older brother, Howard (Howie), and a younger sister, Jeanette, who everyone called Coonie. Both her brother and sister passed away before her. Her sister most recently, earlier this year, and her brother Howard in 2014. 

Margo Peggy Garman Todd graduated Canisteo High School as Valedictorian in 1945 and Elmira College in 1949 and got her degree as a Librarian, her MLS in 1952 at Geneseo. These facts are muddy and we welcome comments to straighten them out. She met Bill Todd at the Republican Club in 1955, and called him Jim, thinking he was someone else. Bill didn't correct her until he asked her out. They were married on September 20, 1960. We have a short tape from the wedding reception that she sent to her sister. In the words of her cousin Barbara, "They are a stunning couple!"

Margo worked as a School Librarian at Jackson Avenue Elementary school and had her first child, Raymond, on July 15, 1961. Her second child Susan was born on February 1, 1965. The family moved from an apartment in Mineola to 64 McKinley Avenue in Westbury, and Margo remained there in that house until it was sold in 2016. Bill passed away in 2001, but Susan lived off and on with Margo until the house was sold. Margo retired from Jackson Avenue after more than 25 years in 1986, and spent her retirement time traveling with her husband, practicing Yoga (she practiced Yoga for more than 40 years with her wonderful teacher Mary Jane), spending her time with friends and neighbors: Enes, Betsy, The Deckers, Mary, George and Roger, singing in the church choir, and for a few years 1991-94, Bill and Margo spent quiet time up in her family's house in Canisteo, which was kept as a second home until 2004. 

Margo lived in a co-op in Glen Oaks, Queens, from 2015-18, moving to assisted living in Sunrise Senior Living in February. An unexpected bout of aspiration pneumonia put her in Huntington Hospital on Memorial Day of this year and after a third time on a respirator and six weeks of trying to recover, she went to hospice in Manhasset on July 11. She passed away on July 13th.

Margo rarely had a bad word to say about anyone, and she was ready to help anyone whenever they needed it. She supported several charities, and donations in her name to St. LaBret Indian School, or the ASPCA are welcome in lieu of flowers. Her favorite flowers were daisies, yellow roses and hydrangeas. She was an avid reader. Her favorite authors were E. B. White and May Sarton. She was a member of Roslyn Presbyterian Church and sang Alto in the church choir for many years.

She loved the music of Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak, and music of Gershwin and Porter, and the stylings and work of singers and singer songwriters like Frank Sinatra and James Taylor. She was a sweet, kind, gentle and loving woman, called by cousin Peg, "a True Lady"

We all will miss her. We welcome any and all comments on this page.

Please use attached link for more photos of Margaret Todd:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pxd6vZgLqrRtCpLc9