Obituary of Margaret McKinney Hollar

Margaret M. Hollar passed away on January 1, 2013 at the Nathaniel Witherell in Greenwich, CT. She was 90. Born March 26, 1922 in Beckley, West Virginia, the youngest of six children, of Robert Hugh McKinney and Lucinda Cooper. She was predeceased by her husband of 50+ years, Howland Felix Hollar, her five siblings, her parents, and her in-laws. She is survived by her daughter Deborah Hollar Blackman and son-in-law Mark W. Blackman of Darien, her son David A. Holler and wife Penny of Port Orchard, WA, four grandchildren, Alexandra Blackman Garvey and husband James of Darien, Ian Blackman of Playa del Ray, CA, Whitney Holler of Seattle, WA, Jordan Hollar Markert and husband James of Seattle, WA, and one great grandchild Dayna Hollar Sturm. Margaret lived in Darien for 16 years before moving to Brookfield, CT and then to Sun City West, Arizona. While in Darien, Margaret belonged to Noroton Presbyterian Church where she was active in the women's groups, the flower committee, and the bell choir. The Tres Dias weekend that she attended while at NPC made a lasting impact on her faith. She was a long time member of Church Women United. Many hours were spent at the Darien Community Association, Darien Garden Club, and the Darien Boat Club. Her interests were horticulture, gardening, flower arranging, furniture refinishing, helping others, and entertaining. She was a lifelong student, taking many classes with respect to her interests. Margaret lived in 9 states and belonged to garden groups in all of them. While in Darien, Margaret worked in the medical and legal fields; she worked at the Darien Medical Group, Cummings & Lockwood, and GTE in Stamford. Margaret was most proud of starting the first Fibromyalgia Support Group at Danbury Hospital. She went on to set up an extensive network of Fibromyalgia Support groups and education in Sun City West and Phoenix, AZ. She dedicated a large part of her life to research and support groups for those suffering from Fibromyalgia and arthritis. Margaret struggled with Fibromyalgia from the age of 21. People from all over the United States would call Margaret for support and advice for dealing with multiple challenges of living with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and arthritis. When they moved to Sun City West, Margaret and "Howdy" were some of the first members of the Desert Palms Presbyterian Church. Margaret was a deacon, sang in the church choir, and worked on the flower committee. Howdy was the church treasurer for 6 years. Margaret moved to The Nathaniel Witherell in Greenwich, CT in 2009. She will probably be remembered most for her singing "God Bless America". While at Nathaniel Witherell she received compassion and love from all who cared for her. Her favorite event was "Tony's" Thursday group with bible stories and poetry. She will be greatly missed by all. A Christian burial will take place in the Spring at the Noroton Presbyterian Memorial Garden, where she will be joining her husband and many, many friends. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820