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Obituary – Margaret McCaull Carmichael Lester

Posted on March 6, 2008 by Staff

Margaret McCaull Carmichael Lester, 83, died unexpectedly but with dignity at her home in Chapel Hill on March 3, 2008. She was a graceful and vibrant woman to the end, and was a positive force in the lives of many people.

Movies, books and Latin jazz were among Margaret’s primary passions and she was a member of several movie and book groups. An avid gardener and bird-watcher, she also loved dogs and cats and was a frequent contributor to wildlife charities. Margaret was a dedicated Democrat, serving as the South Orange precinct chairman for many years, and as a campaign volunteer for several local, state and national candidates. She was an active civil rights advocate, promoting a variety of social justice causes.

From 1968 to 1979, Margaret ran International Chef, Chapel Hill’s first gourmet shop. She also had many years of service to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine and Division of Continuing Education, and the UNC Hospitals.

A native New Yorker, Margaret was born and raised on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart and the Spence School. She moved with her family to Chapel Hill in 1940, and was voted Most Glamorous of her class at Chapel Hill High School. She went on to attend Virginia’s Sweet Briar College before finishing her BA in American history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Carolina, she was a member of the first pledge class of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, to which she remained loyal throughout her life.

Margaret married the love of her life, Robert MacDonald Lester Jr., who died in 1988. She is survived by her daughter, Margot Carmichael Lester and her husband, Steven John Marcus Peha of Carrboro; her son, Robert Brooks deBarros Lester, his wife, Laura Ann Edgerton and their daughter, Kate Edgerton Lester of Raleigh; her sister-in-law, Beverly Baylor Carmichael of Chapel Hill; her niece, Clay Carmichael and her husband Mike Roig, also of Carrboro; and her namesake, Margaret McCaull Carmichael (Marnie), her husband, Michael Murphy, and their daughter, Ella Li Genet Murphy, of Cincinnati. She was the daughter of William Donald Carmichael Jr. and May Baldwin Waller Carmichael; and the sister of William Donald Carmichael III.

A private graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 8, in Chapel Hill. Arrangements are being handled by Walker’s Funeral Home of Chapel Hill. A public memorial service will be held later this spring. Memorials should be made to The N.C. Botanical Garden, WUNC-FM or The Carolina Covenant at UNC-Chapel Hill. In lieu of flowers, the family requests living plants suitable for replanting in Margaret’s memory.

2 thoughts on “Obituary – Margaret McCaull Carmichael Lester”

  1. Dona Bernard says:
    March 7, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    I met Margaret Lester when I was a teenager in 1980, living at my mother’s place, directly across from hers. I am extremely fortunate to have had the many hours of conversation I had with her as we walked laps around the neighborhood on many summer nights. Her kindness, understanding and exceptional sense of humor meant the world to me. She will indeed be greatly missed.

  2. Tim Manale says:
    March 8, 2008 at 2:26 pm

    Margaret Lester has been one of my favorite people to get to know over the years. She was elegant, witty, kind, sincere, intelligent and a
    true Grand Dame. She was my movie guru, and she will be sadly missed.

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