Marguerite Want

Mary Marguerite Taylor Want
1911-1996

Marguerite Want, educator, painter, historian, Gold Medal swimmer in the Senior Olympics and NEA activist joined the overseas schools known as USDESEA in 1965. She had recently retired from the Gadsden School District of New Mexico and felt the calling to remain active in her pursuits of travel, adventure and education. For the next 21 years she traveled all over the world teaching children enrolled in the Department of Defense schools. After serving in Turkey, Spain, Taiwan, Philippines, Germany, and Iceland, she began her next assignment in Okinawa, Japan. Marguerite taught at Kadena Elementary School and later at Bob Hope Primary School. When Marguerite was asked which of her assignments she had enjoyed the most and found the most rewarding, without hesitation she answered, “Taiwan”. Marguerite continued her tradition of asking for transfers and her final assignment was at Coevorden Elementary School in the Netherlands. In 1986 she retired to El Paso, TX.

Marguerite was well known as a painter, especially of the southwestern scenes she loved so much. She felt the mountains and canyons in the Chamberino area of New Mexico to be without equal. For her work as an historian of the Chamberino area she was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus recognition from the Univerisity of New Mexico at Las Cruces. Marguerite continued to swim up to 80 laps a day in her condo pool. When she entered the Senior Olympics she won 6 Gold Medals! She was active in her church and was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi.

Marguerite’s children are George Want of Phoenix, AZ; Walter Want of Newberg, OR; Gerald Want of Anthony, NM and Valeria ‘Sissy’ Want Riley of Gilbert, AZ. They are extremely proud of her and her well-lived life. Her son Gerald notes, “I cannot say enough to praise her accomplishment in raising four children alone. I thank God I had the opportunity to tell her how good a job she did… thanks for memorializing my dear mom!”

Prepared by Carla D.Shank