Margaret Rogers Chesnutt, January 28, 1937 — February 28, 2019

Margaret’s Obituary Margaret Rogers Chesnutt died Thursday, February 28, 2019 at the age of 82. She was born January 26, 1937 in Wilmington, NC, to the late Henry James Rogers and Mary Louise Cole. She was preceded in death by her husband of forty-one years, William Eugene Chesnutt, a son, Scott Chesnutt, and a brother, Willis Cole Rogers and his spouse Helen (Bebe) Suter Rogers.

She leaves behind two children, one daughter, Jessica Chesnutt Bailey of Surf City, NC, and son, Matthew Chesnutt of Mobile, AL, and their respective spouses, Steven L. Bailey and Pam Chesnutt. Other survivors are her sister, Mary Rogers –Ellsworth of Hampstead, NC, her daughters Jodie Lynn Brown and Tamra Ellsworth-Lillie, her nephew, Cole Rogers and his wife Carla McGrath, as well as her nephew Shawn Hanna and his wife Cathy. Additional family members include step grandson, Brian Shefveland and his sister, step-granddaughter Jamie Carpenter, step great-granddaughter, Caroline, a grandniece Alexis Brown and grandnephews Joe Brown, Tyler Arriola, and C.J. Lillie.

She has been blessed with a number of cousins and friends. Margaret (Maggie) graduated from New Hanover High School in Wilmington and met her husband, Bill in college in Birmingham AL. They married and moved to Southern California where they raised their family and lived for forty some years.

Their family spent many happy years camping together in an old Ford van along the beaches in Mexico to the mountains of California. Maggie’s life quote came from an Eleanor Roosevelt speech on education … “It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness”. Maggie spent her life attempting to be a light for all encountered.

Her energy and passion were abundantly shared with family and friends, but particularly with the students she enjoyed over her thirty years as an elementary teacher. After retiring to NC she volunteered as a tutor, worked on a team at the sea turtle hospital, and as a docent at the Missiles and More Museum on Topsail Beach sharing her love of history and science. She requested her family have a Celebration of Life to be held on the beach near her home meeting at 2139A Ocean Blvd on Sunday, March 10 at 11:00am followed by a gathering of family and friends to share stories and memories at the home of her daughter.

In lieu of flowers, memorials donations may be made to a charity of your choice or to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Hospital, PO Box 2095, Surf City, NC 28445.

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