Margaret "Granny Maggie" Gallant Winchester

Margaret Gallant "Granny Maggie" Winchester, age 97 of Charlotte, NC passed away Wednesday, April 29 at Charlotte Square. Margaret was born in Mecklenburg County on August 18, 1917 to Fred S. Gallant and Elma Torrence Gallant. She married her high school sweetheart, Raiford H. Winchester, Jr. on February 18, 1935 who preceded her in death in 2000. Margaret graduated from Berryhill High School in 1934. She attended Montreat College and later Geyer Business College in Charlotte, NC. She worked at Federal Reserve Bank for a number of years and later became a school secretary at Lakeview and Starmount elementary schools and retired from the media department in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. She was a member of Avondale Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday School class and helped in the church office. She was presented the honorary Life Membership in the Presbyterian Woman in 2004. She helped organize the Girl Scout program at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church while a member there. Margaret enjoyed working in the backyard vegetable garden with her husband and also loved working with her flowers and herbs. She enjoyed sewing, reading, painting and all sorts of crafts. Her husband built her an old fashion pie safe where she kept all of the cookbooks that she collected. Margaret is survived by her daughter Tina Gaddy and her husband Bob; three grandchildren; four great grandchildren and one sister. She was preceded in death by her son Rai. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at Avondale Presbyterian Church, 2821 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209, with Dr. John B. Earl presiding on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 2:00 PM. The family will receive friends following the service. Interment will be at Forest Lawn West Cemetery prior to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Avondale Presbyterian Church or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.