MEDFORD — M. Margaret King, 89, longtime resident of Medford, passed away at Wingate at Andover on May 3, 2014. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1924, she was daughter of the late Basil and Martha (Frick) Thalheimer. She grew up in Arlington, graduating from Arlington High School in 1942 and then Chandler Business School in Boston in 1943. She worked as an executive secretary at TransitAds in Boston and then later at Tufts University music department.
Margaret was a cosmopolitan woman with many interests, including classical music, travel, books, and languages. In addition to English, she was fluent in German and Italian. For many years, she was an active member of both the Tufts Women’s Group, particularly the book club, as well as the Chromatic Club in Boston.
She is survived by her sister, Patricia (Thalheimer) King of Andover; brother- and sisters-in-law William Kirby of Hingham; and Sylvia Whitney and Rita Donahue of Watertown; devoted nieces and nephews, including Kevin Kirby and Michael Hopson of S. Natick; Janice and Ward McElhinny of Cohasset; Bruce Kirby of Arundel, Maine; Martha and Philip Giguere of Andover; Juli and Robert Simmons of Haverhill; Maura and Mark Scully of Walpole; Jacqueline Whitney of Belmont; Diana Donahue of Watertown; and Paula and Jon Fasick of Bellingham; along with beloved grandnieces and grandnephews Danielle, Philip, and Victoria Giguere of Andover; Caroline McElhinny of New York, New YorkS; Corinne and Laurel Kirby of Arundel, Maine; John and Anna Scully of Walpole; Jeffrey DeFlavio of Watertown; and Haley and Christie Musket of Belmont.
She is predeceased by her husband of 47 years, Dr. William J. King, who died in 2001; and her sister, M. Elsie Kirby, who died in 2003.
In keeping with Margaret’s wishes, her body will be donated to Tufts Medical School. A memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9, at Saint Raphael Parish in West Medford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tufts University for the Professor William J. King Endowed Applied Music Award, c/o Tufts University A&S Development Office, 80 George Street, Suite 300-2, Medford, MA, 02155.