Obituary: Margaret Mary Byrne, 97, The Dalles

Margaret Mary Byrne passed away peacefully in The Dalles, Oregon on October 21, 2023, having touched many lives in the course of her ninety-seven years.

Margaret Mary, or “Marge” as she was known, was born September 6, 1926, to John Joseph and Claire Mariah Sarsfield in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from Madeleine High School and then Marylhurst College with a degree in sociology in 1948. On April 19, 1949, she married Joseph Linden Byrne at the Madeleine Church in Portland, Oregon.

Margaret Mary and Joseph had eight children: MaryJo (Bill) Baldwin, Michael (Teri) Byrne, Patrick (Kathy) Byrne, Maggie (Eloy) Pando, Kathleen (Karl) Priest, Helen (Cal) Ebey, and Deirdre (Andrew) McPheeters and 22 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She has a brother that survives her, William C. Sarsfield as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death, besides her parents, are her husband Joseph, brother John Joseph Sarsfield Jr., son Thaddeus Wiliam Byrne, and grandson Sean Martin Priest.

Margaret Mary and Joseph moved from Portland to Provo, Utah, and then to Palo Alto and Burlingame, California before returning to Oregon in 1961 with their move to The Dalles.

For Margaret Mary, family was the center of all - she loved her children and grandchildren above all else. Always providing a mother’s touch, Margaret Mary sewed prom dresses, made homemade jams and applesauce, and dried fruits. Her garden often bore testament to her inventiveness; such as planting purple potatoes in the 1980s. Margaret Mary was also a skilled pianist, delighting many with her music. A keen mind, she was a regular at weekly bridge games. In her younger days at college, Margaret Mary was not only an academic but also an adventurer, showcasing her prowess in skiing and archery. This adventurous spirit did not wane, as she instilled a love for skiing in her children, trekking the Gorge's trails, traveling to Mexico with her friends, visiting family in Japan, and cherishing the melodic bells of the Duomo in Florence, Italy. Margaret Mary committed herself to the community, guiding young minds in the Campfire Girls, actively participating in the American Association of University Women, and serving with devotion in the altar society of St Peter’s Catholic Church in The Dalles.

As Margaret Mary would often say: “On to the next adventure!”

The funeral mass will be held at St Peter’s Catholic Church in The Dalles on November 15, 2023, at 1 p.m. in lieu of flowers please make donations to Holy Redeemer Elementary School (https://school.holyredeemerpdx.org/), St Mary’s Academy The Dalles (https://smatd.org/), or Providence Hospice (https://www.providence.org/locations/or/hospice). Funeral arrangements are through Spencer, Libby, and Powell in The Dalles.