LaMsMATYC

Margie Hobbs

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We are terribly sad to announce the

passing of Dr. Margie Johnson Hobbs.

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"AMATYC lost one of its strongest supporters yesterday, March 16th, with the death of Margie Hobbs. She was the AMATYC Conference Coordinator for many years. Many AMATYC members met Margie when they attended their first AMATYC conference and would see her each year they attended a conference. After retiring from the role of conference coordinator, she returned to the Executive Board, serving as Treasurer from 2011-2015 and was instrumental in creating the AMATYC Investment Board. Her southern charm and sunny smile will be sorely missed."

 https://www.facebook.com/amatyc/posts/1163310500388444 

 

"Margie retired from State Technical Institute at Memphis (now Southwest Tennessee CC) after 25 years as an instructor and administrator. Prior to that Margie taught high school mathematics for Memphis City Schools for 9 years. Not one to sit still, she then was a professor at The University of Mississippi for 12 years where she was responsible for the ongoing accreditation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools at Ole Miss. When looking at AMATYC’s history documents, you will see that Margie is mentioned a number of times. Her first mention was as an AMATYC committee worker in 1981. This was just the beginning. She served as program chair, conference chair, regional vice president, treasurer, conference coordinator, and again as treasurer, completing her last term of office this past December. She was also instrumental in getting our national office at Southwest Tennessee CC as well as working on our standards documents. My favorite Margie memory was when I was serving my first term on the AMATYC Board as Northeast Vice President in 2008. As a bonding experience and after a long day of business, the board went on a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River in Memphis. It was a great time – good food, good people, and good music. One of the board members went up to the band and said that it was Margie’s birthday and she was 83 that day. (Of course she was nowhere near that age). Margie was called up to the stage and she was serenaded with Happy Birthday. The entire band was shocked that Margie looked so good for her advanced age of 83. You could just see that determined look on her face and gleam in her eyes. She vowed at that time to get back with interest on the prankster. I am sure she did! Many people are dealing with Margie’s passing by sharing their memories of her. I wish that I could share everyone’s here so you can see what she meant to individuals as well as the organization. She worked with so many of our past presidents who remember her fondly. Marilyn Mays noted that she wasn’t sure that “AMATYC would exist in its present robustness if it were not for Margie and a handful of others who kept going and climbing over obstacles at a very crucial point in our efforts to make AMATYC a National presence.” Dale Ewen notes that “AMATYC has come a long way to being the vital professional association that it is, and we can thank Margie (and Cheryl Cleaves) for much of that growth through their dedicated, caring, personal, and professional service to AMATYC.” Steve Rodi adds “Kindness and graciousness are words that embody who Margie is.” “To say that AMATYC is better because of her is very much anunderstatement,” adds Karl Smith. The accolades continue. Annette Cook remembers that Margie was instrumental in resurrecting AlaMATYC, an affiliate that now has had seven successful conferences. Annette adds that Margie’s “example and legacy serve as an inspiration to us all.” Linda Kodama spent many conferences sharing a room with Margie and muses “I’ll bet folks might have wondered how we understood each other...her with her southern drawl and me with my ‘pidgin English’ (Hawaiian creole). I will definitely miss her!!” Upon hearing of Margie’s passing, Liz Hylton keeps seeing a picture of Margie in her mind from NOLA. “The conference was over, she was wearing her jeweled vest and beads, with a big smile on her face as she hugged me goodbye. She looked so relaxed and happy. A good last memory. She was a special lady and I will miss her.” I hope these memories help you remember Margie. It won’t be the same at our family reunion in Denver without her there. We will work hard to carry out her work as AMATYC moves on without a visible Margie, but with a Margie deep in our hearts. My condolences go to her husband Allen and daughter Holly. Henry David Thoreau said “On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend’s life also, in our own, to the world.” I know that Margie’s influence will continue on through me as I continue my journey as AMATYC president. Phil Mahler probably said it best. “If AMATYC were to have saints, Margie would be one. Of the highest rank.” Ditto. (Margie knows what this means.) Rest in peace, Margie. We are all better for having known you."

https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/amatyc.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/AMATYC_News/April_2016_for_web.pdf