Margaret, known by most as Margie, was a fun-loving friend, hard-working employee, generous donor, loving daughter, caring sister and loyal friend.

Margie was born in December of 1936 at Saint Vincent’s Infirmary in Little Rock, Arkansas. The family home was in the Pulaski Heights neighborhood where she attended public schools and graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1954. Along with the members of her family, Dr. Rudolph Macon Lord (father), Julia Ree Carruth Lord (mother), Rudolph Macon Lord, Jr. (brother), and Nancy Jane Lord (sister), she regularly attended Pulaski Heights Christian Church and enjoyed the family membership at the Riverdale Country Club.

After graduating High School, Margie attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville where she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority and, of course, became an avid Razorback Football fan. Margie graduated in January of 1960, having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Major in Marketing.

With her college degree in hand, Margie ventured to Los Angeles, California where she would begin her illustrious business career. Her dear Aunt Leslie, a working woman herself, employed by a Hollywood Talent Agency, offered to let her room with her—and so it began.

Margie landed her first secretarial job with E. F. Hutton in 1961. Then, in 1962, she secured a post with International Business Machines (IBM), Los Angeles. She excelled in her work there and was soon promoted to a job at IBM’s Corporate Office in New York. Goodbye California, for now.

After nine years, continuing her pattern of recognition and advancement in the New York office, Margie longed for a more meaningful position. In 1970, CEO Thomas J. Watson Jr. sent a memo urging managers to combat gender bias and promote women faster. Margie volunteered for and was accepted for a position with IBM’s traditionally male-dominated sales force.

Not only did she compete with her male peers, but she was also wildly successful. In 1972 she was recognized as a District Director, often exceeding her sales quotas and, in ensuing years, was recognized with four Golden Circle Awards and thirteen 100% Club Awards.

In 1973 IBM allowed Margie to transfer to their Houston office. She needed to be with her mother who was being treated there for cancer. Houston provided many new friends and experiences. She bought a townhouse and a sailboat, got married and divorced, lost both parents to serious illnesses, and had to endure the terror of the murder of her younger sister.

Again, IBM allowed Margie to transfer her work assignment, this time to their Costa Mesa branch in Orange County, California. This would provide her with what she considered to be a more secure location which was near to her remaining family. It was from this office that, after working so many years for IBM, she retired.

In her return to California, Margie found a cottage to rent on Balboa Island that she dubbed “Margie’s Mania.” Retirement gave her more time to spend on personal projects, travel, and entertainment. She used her marketing and sales experience to head up fundraising drives for local organizations including Hoag Hospital, The Orange County Museum of Art and The Segerstrom Center for Performing Arts.

Margie saved everything. The cottage was filled with memorabilia wall to wall and floor to ceiling, and with boxes filled with photographs of all her friends and activities. She never missed sending a Birthday card to a friend or family member and had boxes filled with decorations for every holiday of the year. Her fraternal grandfather told her to save 10% of every dollar she earned when she started out on her own. Little did he know the degree to which she would take that advice.

Margie cared deeply about her family and did whatever she could to help them succeed. Her last years in the cottage were very physically demanding but never dimmed her mentally. It was amazing to learn that she had taught her caregivers to play stud poker and that she always beat them. She needed their extensive support to move and certainly appreciated their help. At the end of her life, she chose The Lord’s Prayer for a final goodbye and passed away on June 7, 2025, at a care home in Costa Mesa, California.