Margaret Leone Floerchinger

Margaret Leone (Lyle) Floerchinger 1929-2024

The family of Margaret Floerchinger is deeply saddened to announce her passing on August 10, 2024. Margaret was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher, and friend. She touched the lives of everyone she met with tremendous kindness, unwavering support, and a great sense of humor.

Born the only daughter out of four children, Margaret grew up on a farm in Joplin, Montana. On the farm, she worked as hard as anyone and learned the good-hearted, hospitable ways of the Montana hi-line. She helped her mom in the kitchen and took lunch to her dad in the fields. When it came time for milking, the cow stepped in the pail, spilling the milk. That was the last time she milked the cows. Instead, she focused on school and music. As a young woman, she sang at numerous events for family and friends, and she continued her whole life jubilantly singing whenever the occasion arose, particularly in church.

With a love of reading, Margaret graduated from Joplin High School and went on to earn her teaching certificate at Northern Montana College. It was at Northern that she met her future husband, William "Bill" Floerchinger. She and Bill married and then moved to Missoula, where Bill continued his degree in accounting and Margaret continued teaching. The family welcomed sons, David, Craig, Roger, and Steven. Following Bill's career opportunities, the family moved to Great Falls, Helena, and Billings. Undaunted, Margaret continued teaching at each location and raised a rambunctious crew of boys. She made sure they all played in bands, participated in sports, held down summer jobs, and grew up to be good men--each eventually towering above her but always following her lead. She was known to say, "I'm not bossy, I just have lots of good ideas."

In the early 1970s, Bill transferred to Anchorage, Alaska, which was supposed be a three-year assignment. The family stayed for more than forty years. In Anchorage, Margaret's legacy would be that of a revered pre-school educator, mentoring hundreds of students including her own grandchildren. She delighted in reading stories out loud with dramatic bravado and gifting books at every holiday. Even more, everyone knew she was an amazing cook. Her hot dishes, rolls, cookies, and brownies were family staples and offerings at every church potluck. She passed along canning skills, making lefsa, frosting Christmas cookies, and generations of recipes. If you needed a cake, she always brought two.

Margaret was a faithful and dedicated member of St. John United Methodist Church. She took part in bible study and participated as an all-around, always-available volunteer. It meant a lot to her to be part of the church and to welcome everyone with a joyous, open heart (and coffee and cookies). While petite and sweet, Margaret was also tough and adventurous. She and Bill fished, camped, and flew their airplane back and forth from Alaska to Montana. With amazing life-long friends, they floated the Missouri River, cruised through the Panama Canal, and road-tripped from Washington to Arizona. She was always game for a good time and relished a good card game with good friends. A few weeks before her passing, she strapped on a helmet and took a ride on a motorcycle, waving to everyone along the way.

Family was everything to Margaret. She treasured each of her sons, and in turn, doted on their families, delighting in her grandchildren and great grandkids. She wasn't shy in saying how proud she was of her sons' accomplishments, how happy she was to have daughters-in-law around, and how excited she was to attend every concert, sporting event, and graduation for grandkids. Across her entire life, she took much joy in staying connected with her Lyle and Floerchinger siblings, nieces, and nephews. She stepped up whenever and wherever she was needed, offering unconditional love and support through many hard times. Simply put, she was the glue.

Her last few years were spent in Washington at a senior community. Not surprisingly, Margaret made close friends, sharing meals and exchanging stories and lots of laughs. She got to know her care givers, caring for their lives as they cared for her. She walked to keep active, enjoyed a good milk shake (or glass of wine), and participated in bible study. She loved that friends and family called to visit and journeyed from near and far to see her. At the end of each encounter, and right up to the end, she smiled and reassured everyone that "all's well, I'm fine."

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband Bill, her son Roger, her parents, and her siblings. She is survived by her sons David, Craig, and Steven and their families; as well as many loved ones in the extended Lyle and Floerchinger families; and circles of life-long and new friends.

An online memorial service will be hosted by St. John United Methodist Church airing on August 31st at 2:00pm Pacific time (more details can be found on the church website).

Tributes in honor of Margaret may be made to St. John UMC, 1801 O'Malley Road, Anchorage, Alaska, 99507.

Arrangements entrusted to The Stone Chapel Poulsbo Mortuary in Poulsbo, Washington.