Margaret F. Klock

Margaret F. Klock (nee Padgett) “Nanny”, age 90, of Wayne passed away peacefully at home, in her sleep on Friday, October 18, 2019. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Margaret was born and raised on a dairy farm in Lattimore, NC. She was the youngest of 4 children who all worked hard to keep the farm going after their dad passed from heart disease and the ravages of the 1929 depression hit them.  When she graduated high school she moved to Durham, NC with her oldest sister, Martha who had already received a nursing degree from Duke University and followed in her footsteps.

In the 1950’s she moved to New York City to become an OR nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. While working there she also did some modeling for Powers Models. One of her roommates told her about an airline that was looking for nurses to fly on their international flights. She applied and was chosen as a Pan Am Stewardess, which in those days was considered quite the honor.  Margaret circled the globe many times and loved to see the world and all the exotic locales. She had beautiful charms from almost every country you can imagine and some countries that don’t exist anymore.

Margaret met her husband, Robert, a widower, at the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink. They were both skating when he saw her. Eventually they married and she chose to become a homemaker and mother to his daughter from his first marriage, Carolyn. They moved to Packanack in 1960. They had two children together, Patricia and Ken.  They were active tennis players at Packanack Tennis Club and spent many happy years involved and made many wonderful friends.

During these years, Margaret also belonged to a special group called, The Harmony Singers. Every Tuesday they gathered and sang together. It was a ritual for her and a treasured pastime. She loved playing the piano and singing all her life. The family knew not to plan anything for a Tuesday night!

Tragically, in 1987 Margaret was diagnosed with hereditary ataxia. This would alter the course of her active life. Her family watched as her physical abilities declined, but with her strong nature and desire to be with the family she struggled to keep moving. She remained the matriarch of her family throughout her life even though Patricia and her husband, David and Kenneth would all be involved in her care until her death.

Margaret’s greatest accomplishment was her unconditional love for her children and then grandchildren, Michael, Brandon, and Rebecca DiCenso. Even though she was confined, she made her opinions and presence felt through their lives. All their friends knew of “Nanny” who was upstairs and often spoke to them through the intercom. When she spoke, everyone listened. Sometimes begrudgingly! But she always wanted the best for her family and her total love was never in question. It gave her great satisfaction that she was so much a part of raising her grandchildren and we were all so grateful for her influence. She had a kind and gentle soul and was a constant champion for them.

Margaret was particularly happy to have experienced her grandchildren falling in love.  Michael & Dianne, Brandon &Briana and Becca & Dave. She was also proud to have met her great, great grandchild, Isabella Marie.

Nanny will be so dearly missed by her family, but she will forever be in our hearts. She was a living angel watching over us and now she has her wings.