Marjorie Downs

Marjorie Oneal Downs, 94, passed away on May 12, 2016, in Wasilla, Alaska. Margie was born March 26, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York to Lloyd and Genevieve Oneal.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at Christ First United Methodist Church, located at 5137 W. Fairview Loop in Wasilla.

Margie grew up in northern New Jersey, graduating from Westfield High School in 1940. She attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and Berkeley Business College in East Orange, New Jersey. Margie did volunteer work with the Rationing Board during World War II as well as volunteering in the local hospitals.

She married James Albert Downs on June 6, 1944, the day he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point as an officer in the Army Air Corps. They experienced many transfers to bases and finally settled in Japan for five years during the occupation days after the war. They had two sons, Kenneth J. Downs of Willow and Bruce L. Downs (and wife Bonna) of Palmer. She is also survived by grandchildren Jan Downs, of Blacksburg, Virginia; Joshua Downs, of Anchorage; and Deborah Downs, of Arizona. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim, her parents, and younger sister, Doris O. Becker.

Margie loved flowers and gardening and while in Japan studied Japanese flower arrangement (Ikebana) and eventually earned her teacher's certificate in the art. Having lived in Japan for a total of 12 years, she was offered an opportunity to teach pre-school to bilingual children. After moving from Tokyo to Kobe, Japan in 1962, Margie was a full time secretary at the U.S. consulate for two years while her husband was stationed there.

Upon returning to the U.S. in 1964, Margie worked for two years at George Mason College in Fairfax, Virginia. Another transfer came in 1967 to Williamsburg, Virginia.

While there, Margie worked at the College of William & Mary in the Bureau of Business Research and as a volunteer in charge of the Candy Stripers at the local hospital.

When her husband, Jim, retired, they lived by a river in a small community in Mollusk, Virginia for over 22 years. Margie became active in the Methodist Church and did volunteer work with various church-sponsored programs such as Respite and Meals on Wheels. She was an officer in the U.M. Women’s group and a member of the church choir. Since their older son, Ken, had lived in Alaska for many years and they had visited him almost every year, they finally decided to make the move to “The Great Land” in 1993.

Margie enjoyed living in Willow and was a part of various community activities such as the Willow U.M. Church. After five years she moved to Wasilla. Margie loved living in Alaska in her senior years and tried to visit as many of the beautiful areas as possible.

From childhood through later years, Margie was an avid tennis player and swimmer and continued with her love of gardening. She always felt so very blessed with her many adventures and precious family as well as dear friends for all the years allowed her.

Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home.