Margaret Ruth Hart passed away peacefully in Portland, Oregon, at age 98, surrounded by family. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in 1944, the University of Pittsburgh in 1948, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1952—one of only four women in her medical school class. After moving to Michigan, she completed her internship at Wayne County General Hospital in 1953 and her pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 1955.

Margaret married Zwi Herman Ytshar in 1958. They welcomed their daughter, Ruth, in 1959, and their son, David, in 1960. Margaret cared for countless families for over 30 years in a private pediatric practice in Dearborn, Michigan. After Zwi’s death in 1988, she married William Collins in 1990, and they soon moved to Portland, Oregon.

Following her retirement, Margaret and Bill cultivated many interests. They were passionate organic gardeners and active with Oregon Tilth, reflecting their love of gardening and environmental stewardship. They also shared a unique hobby of collecting and restoring antique sewing machines and were longtime participants in the TreadleOn community. Margaret, a lifelong seamstress and dedicated quilter, created memorable and lasting pieces that reflected her creativity and attention to detail. Together, they were also members of the Humanists of Greater Portland.

Margaret’s lifelong commitment to peace and justice included volunteering with Physicians for Social Responsibility, participating in the Ribbon Around the Pentagon demonstration, traveling to Nicaragua with the group Witness for Peace, and supporting several organizations, including the Green Party of Michigan, the Michigan Interfaith Committee on Central American Human Rights, and the Boise Peace Quilters. These values continued to guide her long after moving to Terwilliger Plaza in 2005. During her twenty years at Terwilliger Plaza, to the extent possible, she remained intellectually and socially engaged—attending lectures, reading widely, and actively participating in the Terwilliger Plaza community. She lived independently until age 97 and spent her final year in the tender care of the Terwilliger Plaza Metcalf Unit.

She will be remembered for her intelligence, integrity, persistence, and commitment to social justice, peace, and the environment.

Margaret is preceded in death by her husband, William, and stepdaughter Susan. She is survived by her daughter Ruth; son David; sister Doris; granddaughters Kathryn and Elena; and her extended Collins family, including stepchildren Bill and Diane, David and Sheila, Lauradel and Ralph, and Doug; step-grandchildren Sara and Duncan, Ben and Pai, Stan and Kristin, and Bernadel and Evan; and two step-great-grandchildren, Violet and Will.