Margaret Ann Esch

March 20, 2022

On Sunday, March 20th, 2022, Margaret Esch, loving wife and devoted mother of six, passed away at the incredible age of 99. Margaret was born October 24, 1922 to Mary and Lawrence Doyle in the Bronx. She met her husband, Thomas Esch, a WWII veteran at a New Year’s Eve party in 1940. The couple raised six children. After her children were grown, Margaret worked as a telephone operator in the 1970’s, enjoying a fulfilling career in this forgotten art while her husband worked in sanitation. Margaret and Thomas settled into retirement in Florida. For fifteen years, they lived a luck-filled life in the sunshine state, Margaret being her husband’s lucky charm. There, she won prizes from radios, to cruise vacations to cars. When her husband got sick with Parkinson’s disease, Margaret, in true caretaker-fashion, diligently cared for him until the end. Upon his death, Margaret moved to Suffern, NY to be near her family. It was back in NY that she found her joy again—taking leisurely walks every morning around the neighborhood, volunteering at a Church thrift shop, collecting memorabilia and catering holidays in her new home. Known as Nanny to eight grandchildren and little Nanny to six great-grandchildren, what Margaret will most be remembered for is her love for her family, her joyous, infectious laughter and her legendary hats. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Evelyn.