Margie Lynne Deardourff

Margie Lynne Deardourff, age 79 (b. 8/6/1944 - d. 11/21/2023) of Gainesville, Florida passed away on November 21, 2023 after hard fought battle against melanoma. Margie Lynne Deardourff (George) was born on August 6, 1944 in Columbus, Ohio to a dentist father, Ray George and homemaker mother, Eileen George (Nutt). She spent her childhood in the biggest house in the tiny town of Carrollton, Ohio, seat of Carroll County. Margie was the second of eight children. In order they are and were Connie (deceased), Margie, Ray Allen, Kathie, Julie, Amy (deceased), Laurie and Nancie. Thus, growing up she plied her eventual trade as a mother by helping her older sister Connie provide their Mom with extra hands with all of their little siblings. In high school she was the head drum majorette and a fine student. She was accepted to The Ohio State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority. She met the love of her life and her husband of 49 years, Dr. Stephen L. Deardourff, MD while on Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Her husband, a medical student at The Ohio State University at the time, literally tripped while stumbling out of a bar bathroom right into her lap. “Who was that girl I was talking to?,” he would later ask his friends on the drive home. It was Margie, who spent her life as Steve’s loving wife and partner until his passing in 2018. 1969 brought the birth of Margie and Steve’s first child, Stephanie. Later that month of Stephanie’s birth, Steve went to serve a year abroad in Vietnam as a surgeon for the Army. Margie raised Stephanie with the help of her sister Kathie in Columbus, Ohio. When Steve returned from Vietnam, the trio moved to Coral Gables, Florida where Steve served out his time with the Army as an intake doctor for applicants and assignees to the Vietnam War. In the early 1970’s Steve and Margie made the road trip from Coral Gables to Gainesville in a VW bug. Steve had been accepted through the GI Bill to a Residency in Urology at the University of Florida Medical School and wanted to give the town a look. They would end up staying their entire adult lives in Gainesville where Steve entered private practice in Urology in 1974. That same year the couple welcomed their second child, Debra and moved into their second home on 14th Avenue in Northwest Gainesville. Then in 1978 they welcomed their third and final child Tim. The 1980’s were a great decade for Margie D. Here you would have seen Margie behind the wheel of a large, brown station wagon, followed by a wood-trimmed, blue station wagon, taking her kids, like the Beatles’ song, “Here, There and Everywhere”—to decorate a dorm room, to ballet practice, to football practice, to school. She was the talent chairman and starred in Follies, the live theatrical production of the Junior League and played the occasional tennis match. She was always game for taking her kids and their friends to get a Happy Meal at McDonalds. The 1990’s saw Margie and Steve in full bloom. A little blue pill had just come out and Dr. D was slinging those and rooting out deadly cancers while Mom whisked her kids to and fro. There was a new store in town: Sams Club, and Margie beamed in her membership card photo. This was the era of her Dodge Caravans. The first was a wood-trimmed, silver one followed briefly by a wood-trimmed green one which was then donated to Tim as his senior year car. Then came “Big Red” a cherry red steed (again, a Dodge Caravan) whose bright red paint job matched her sparkly personality. The early aughts ushered forth the second wind of motherhood, this time as a grandmother with the birth of her first grandchild Matthew McKinney. Four more grandchildren would follow (twins Ryan and Julia McKinney, Max Faulk and Rory Faulk) and Margie the Mom became “Mum.” She got an upgrade to a Mercedes SUV but it just didn’t drive as smoothly as those Minivans. Thus in the 10’s Margie switched back to a Minivan, to a Honda Odyssey (they drive like a dream!). So smitten was Steve by the automobile that he garaged his Mercedes’ and bought a second Odyssey, both of them black, like they were running a livery. In January 2018 she lost her husband and life partner Steve and life was never the same. In the 20’s, she still had her Honda Odyssey, but she was more likely to accept a ride down to Tampa or to Jacksonville to visit her grown children and their children. With the help of amazing doctors including Dr. Lucio Gordan and Dr. John Burton and their caring physician assistants, nurses and staff she extended her life with immunotherapy “miracle” drugs for two years even with a malignant tumor on her heart caused from melanoma. She did her best to battle her various ailments and to the end was on brand when she simply said, “I’m sorry” and that she couldn’t fight any more. Margie was a professional volunteer in Gainesville. She was a member of the Medical Guild and heavily involved the medical community in support of Steve. She was the Sustainer President of the Junior League of Gainesville and was awarded the prestigious Aunt Carrie Volunteer of the Year award. One of her greatest talents was decorating. Margie would decorate for any occasion and proudly volunteered to decorate for many parties, events, proms and house parades. She was very generous with her decorating skills and shared those skills with anyone who asked—she never said no. Christmas was Margie’s favorite holiday and Margie was in the local papers and magazines on several occasions for her decorations. Margie had a lot of “stuff,” but no possessions could ever supplant her pride for her marriage and her family. The family would like everyone celebrating Christmas this year to consider some of the holiday sparkle as a sign from Margie. She loved sparkly things and she herself was the glint in her family’s eyes. We’d encourage everyone to listen to Kenny and Dolly’s Once Upon a Christmas album, especially the song “Hard Candy Christmas” as it reminds us of many holidays past listening to this album on vinyl at our house on 14th Avenue. The family would like to thank her friend group for keeping Margie so close and for being there right until the end. Margie had a gift for hospitality and it will be strange for many of her friends to be planning a party for her instead of alongside her. We speak so kindly of her because she spoke so kindly to us, always seeking to soften the blows of an intemperate world. She loved people and she loved life. On November 21, 2023 Margie quietly and with bravery shuffled off this mortal coil as we, her family and friends, asserted her towards a celestial reunion with her forbears. This includes her parents, two of her sisters, her best helper Carrie Jackson and of course her husband Steve who preceded her in death. She is no doubt spangling the gates of heaven with her taste in decor. Steve and now Margie Deardourff leave behind three children Stephanie McKinney (53), Debra Deardourff Larsen (49) and Tim Deardourff (44); seven grandchildren: Matthew McKinney (20), Ryan McKinney (18), Julia McKinney (18), Lilly Hall (17), Anderson Hall (14) Max Faulk (14) and Rory Ray Faulk (12), three granddogs and two grandcats. Margie D. also leaves behind a Black Honda Odyssey, lightly driven, with salt and pepper shakers near the cup holders and few ketchup packets if anyone needs them. A final note: Margie was, of all things, kind. We invite those who remain on earth to consider this to be, perhaps, the Queen of all virtues in these times. The family will receive friends Sunday, December 10, 2023 from 4pm to 6pm at WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME WESTAREA, 823 NW 143rd St. Newberry, FL 32669. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Margie’s name to Haven Hospice 4200 N. W. 90 Blvd. Gainesville FL. 32606 or https://beyourhaven.org/donate.

Margie Lynne Deardourff

August 6, 1944 - November 21, 2023