Margaret Maggy Mae Margo Marissa Walter
Our beloved Margaret died unexpectedly June 10, 2024, at her home in Shelton WA.
Maggy was born September 21, 1994, in Rochester NY.
During her high school years, she was active in the Civil Air Patrol, she loved being part of the Honor Guard and actively pursued advanced certifications in Search and Rescue, beginning a theme of her wanting to help other people.
Maggy loved Canandaigua Lake, she spent many summers there developing a love of the outdoors and sailing with friends and family.
Mae attended Indiana Wesleyan University and graduated with a degree in addictions counseling in 2015. She began her career as an addiction counselor in Indiana. She moved back to the Rochester area to continue addictions counseling.
Margaret found her calling at the Veterans Administration, becoming a Crisis Hotline Responder, working at the Canandaigua VA in 2017.
Margaret wanted to try a different path within the VA and moved to Grand Island Nebraska in 2019 as an Administrative Officer. While in Nebraska Margaret found and made a great friend, Heather Benzel.
Margo once again forged a new path and moved to Portland OR in 2021 to work at the VA as a Program Support Assistant. During that time, Margo found that she really wanted to return to the Veterans Crisis Hotline, and did so. She got great satisfaction in caring for vets and their families.
Marissa bought her own home in Shelton WA in 2023. She loved her new home, spending much time and effort making the home truly her own and to express her uniqueness. She loved spending time in the treehouse and on the swings in her yard and neighborhood. She loved exploring her town and surrounding areas, finding new coffee shops and restaurants, and pursuing her love of the outdoors.
She was constantly pursuing change throughout her life. It was easy to tell when someone met her by what they knew her name as. She always marched to the beat of her own drum, with a common theme of striving to include and help others. When she opened herself to you, she loved fiercely and loyally and with her whole self.
She was 100% in on everything she did, she wanted to be an expert immediately. She would introduce herself with hobbies of playing Magic and Olympic weight lifting. She loved to see the jaws drop in surprise on those she met when she shared her unique hobbies and interests. She loved to crochet. She spent many hours making blankets, throws, stuffies, and many other projects to give as gifts to friends and family. If you ever received one of these gifts, you were assured she had spent time thinking of you and making the gift unique to you.
She always pursued her desires aggressively, be that moving across the country for a job or chasing a brown bear down the side of the road. She always kept her car, “Vanya”, ready for her next adventure. She thought of her possessions as companions, giving each a personality and name; they accompanied her through many adventures.
Her adopted midwestern family fondly remembers that her “big city” ideas often had great shock value for new Midwest friends and coworkers (which she loved!), forcing people to think outside of the way things had always been done. Through different backgrounds and upbringings, she managed to grow friendships that became like family. Many Midwest friends still credit Margaret with teaching them how to see the world differently, be more inclusive, and value the importance of having an open mind in the workplace and at home.
Margaret was much loved and will be greatly missed by those who knew her.
Survived by parents George and Kathy Walter, brother Sam and his wife Venice, her beloved Papa, George S Travis Jr, her uncles and aunts: Mark and Barb Travis, Blair Travis, Greg and Doreen Travis, Mary Lou and Dennis Garcia, and cousins: Aimee, Justin, Jessica, Cassie, Ryan, Sarah, Lucy, Claire. Her “other mothers” Kris Cotton, Carol Stratton and Suzanne Hale. Her partner Trevor Penland and best friend Austin Miller. Her bonus family, Fred and Heather Benzel and Margaret’s favorite little humans, Wyatt, Bella, Camilla and Jameson.
A west coast celebration of life will be held in Shelton, WA on June 22nd, at County Line Pizza, 203 W. Railroad Ave., Shelton, WA from 4-6pm. There also will be another celebration of life with east coast friends in Canandaigua, NY at a later date and place. Please contact her family or check back here for details.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Contact any family for next of kin contact information.
