Margaret Ann Berchtold breathed her last glorious breath in her own home on September 10, 2008, having spent the last months of her life surrounded by family, friends, and inspired works of her own art, all of which reflected the love and beauty that she showered on the world for her sixty-six years.
Margaret Ann Privett was born on December 10th, 1941 to Lowell and Agnes Privett in Fort Lewis Washington. Her father, an ophthalmologist, was stationed there and because of the war, Margaret was a “blackout baby!”
After several military moves, the family settled in Boise, Idaho. Margaret grew up in a family environment that encouraged her and her older brothers and sister to be seen and not heard, which only served to inspire fortitude and inner strength that revealed itself through her quiet talents throughout her life.
Margaret attended grade school and high school in Boise and following high school graduation from St. Theresa’s Academy, settled on the University of Portland for her undergraduate pursuits. During summer vacation she worked in her father’s ophthalmology office and at some point settled on her favored name, Marg.
Marg graduated from UofP P in June of 1963 with a Liberal Arts degree in social sciences. While at the University of Portland she met Jim Berchtold and after dating for their junior and senior years, was married on November 16th, 1963. Her first jobs following graduation were at Bausch & Lamb and Olsen Rambler.
Marg gave birth to two children, Brian Joseph on December 8th, 1964 and Julie Marie on January 27th, 1967. The children inspired Marg to be a stay at home mom, infusing them with her wit, charm, etiquette, manners, and creative energy. She took great pleasure participating in their schooling activity and watching them participates and excels in athletics and academic achievements.
Marg and Jim lived in Portland with their children for their entire married life except for a 5 year stint from 1970 to 1975 when they were in Clatskanie, Oregon while Jim served as manager of the U.S. Bank. While in Clatskanie, Marg volunteered at the school, honed her creative skills with innovative classroom decorations, various hobbies, and tennis, bowling, and developing close friendships with a small but intimate group. Three of those comrades continued to consider Marg a dear and close friend, staying in touch, visiting and spending time with her as she dealt courageously over 18 months with the inoperable brain tumor that came out of nowhere on April 22nd, 2007.
Marg and Jim were nesters, staying in the home they bought in Portland in 1975 until 1994 when they downsized to a town home in Forest Heights. Marg loved to decorate and create her own unique quality of home with unusual collections of special appeal and always graciously accepted the compliments on her work that flowed from visitors.
Marg sacrificed many of her own needs and interests to support her husband’s career and children’s needs until they finished high school and ventured off to college. In 1986, after seeing her children begin their own families and successful careers, Marg emerged to re-create and re-vitalize herself with a new career and expanded outlook on life. Marg always believed in challenging her mind, being creative, reading ferociously and learning something new every day, and so began to live vigorously and with abandon from that point on. Her many joys included biking, cross-country skiing, traveling, yoga, tennis - which gave way to golf as her passion, and endless walks on top of her Egoscue exercise menus.
In 1986, after researching employment opportunities for a company that mirrored her own values, she went to work for Norm Thompson as a part time phone sales person during the holidays. Eventually she worked full time and migrated to inventory control work. When she retired 12 years later, she had risen to Inventory Control Manager for the food, floral and gift divisions for Norm Thompson.
After her retirement in 1998 she volunteered for the Portland Visitors Center and took a special interest in the various tourist attractions that the Rose City had to offer.
One of her favorite and most satisfying endeavors flowed from her casual fling with water colors, which eventually gave way to a love of acrylics. She developed a unique and masterful acrylic painting technique, doing most of it with her fingers and only occasionally using brush for a specific detail. A well known Portland artist and friend once remarked, “Marg, you have such a special gift, you paint and create work that people strive their entire lives to master, and it comes so naturally and effortlessly to you.” Another design friend commented, “Your work gives me goose bumps – it’s like you’re channeling a message to us.” In one of her deeply contemplative moments in the last few months, Marg made the comment that “I have so much more to paint and create - that in so many ways I’m just beginning to live my life.” We are sure wherever this journey takes Marg that she will indeed be creating and painting with the great masters of all time.
Marg was such a unique, honest, ‘what you see is what you get’ individual that she created lasting friendships around each of her various interest: Art group - ArtPack, exercise group, walking group, book club – The Goddess Group, golf group, tennis group, work group. Her husband Jim once commented, “I have lots of acquaintances, but Marg has tons of true and lasting friends!” An example of those lasting friendships was evident in the relationship that continued to her final moments in the life cycle. Her two close friends from college (Lorene and Jan) served as bridesmaids at Jim & Marg’s wedding, and even while living on opposite coasts, managed to get together for a girls outing to the beach or special rendezvous at least once a year and sometimes twice a year. On some of those occasions they even included the guys – celebrating 50 years of friendship and lasting memories.
Marg spent the last few months at home with excellent Hospice care in the cozy confines of a creatively decorated dining room with a Zen like garden with flowing water, Buddha, blooming plants and various peaceful adornments, just outside the slider. Her days were filled with the soft sounds of her favorite music, a steady flow of friends creating unique and festive excuses for parties and celebrations and just quiet meditation and reading of passages and uplifting messages from so many wonderful books on the cycle of life. Marg’s husband Jim, served as her primary care giver during those last months, but he couldn’t have done it as well without the creative linkage to resources through the web site, www.lotsahelpinghands.com.
Another close friend, Mary Pat, helped co-ordinate and post photos, messages and updated calendar times for volunteer friends to spell Jim for walks on the trails, special golf afternoons, and just plain down time. There were over 80 friends and family signed up on that site ready to assist and support during those final months.
A special treat for Marg, and certainly a highlight was the alternating week-end visits from Brian and Julie.
In addition to her husband Jim, Marg is survived by son Brian & his wife Vanessa (their son Mat died in December 2007 at age 18), daughter Julie & her partner Stamie, along with their 3 children- Jagger and twins Nikos & Dautry, her two older brothers–John and Bob. Her older sister, Geri, preceded her in death.
In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, contributions can be made to the Marg Privett Berchtold Scholarship Fund at the University of Portland - www.up.edu.
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