Margaret Potter Walton, 93, died peacefully at home

surrounded by her three daughters. She was a wonderful

mother, wife and friend. She loved people and kept an active and inquiring mind until the end.

Margaret was born in Whenuakite, New Zealand, to Edward and Leslie Potter, and was the younger of identical twins. World War II brought the loss of her pilot brother George followed by the death of her father. It also brought the U.S. military to New Zealand where she met an American who was the General Manager of Pan American Airlines in Hawaii. When the war ended, he offered her a job as his secretary and she packed and moved to Honolulu. She returned to Auckland, New Zealand to marry Robert Walton on Nov. 22, 1947, who had returned from fighting in the European arena during WWII. Margaret talked her husband into moving to Hawaii where they lived for 26 years and raised three daughters. In February 1957 they both became naturalized U.S. Citizens.

Upon Robert’s retirement in 1971 as a CPA and partner of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in Honolulu, they moved back to Auckland, New Zealand taking their youngest daughter,

Roberta, with them. Six years later they moved back to the United States to reunite their immediate family and selected the Seattle area as it reminded them of their native New Zealand. In 1998 they moved to Whidbey Island.

Margaret was gracious, compassionate, loving, generous and brave.

She created a wonderful loving home for her family wherever they lived. She taught all her daughters to cook, knit and sew with attention to detail being paramount.

One of her favorite quotes was “if something was worth doing at all, it was worth doing it right.”

And those who tasted her famous New Zealand ANZAC cookies can attest to what an excellent cook

she was.

Growing up she swam to keep fit and she and her twin sister, Jean, were competitive doubles tennis players.

In her middle years, she enjoyed playing golf. Margaret was also an avid gardener, reader and lover of good music — from opera, to classical, and contemporary, as well as our much loved Hawaiian music.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 55 years, Robert Lewin Walton, her twin sister Jean Potter, brothers George and Tom Potter, and son-in-law Gordon Piercy. She leaves behind her three daughters, Jennifer Walton (David Riordan), Beverley Walton, and Roberta Walton Piercy; three grandchildren Virginia Piercy, Zachary Piercy, and Matthew (Walton) Moffett; two stepgrandchildren

Kenneth Piercy (Jennah Kriebel) and Elizabeth Piercy (Erin Gilbert); and her step-great-granddaughter, Eleanor; the many cousins, nieces and nephews in New Zealand; along with numerous friends in New Zealand, Hawaii, and Washington.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Coupeville Methodist Church, with a reception to follow at 750 Snowberry Lane, Coupeville. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances be made to the Coupeville

Garden Club, P.O. Box 835, Coupeville 98239, or WAIF www.waifanimals.org/support

Arrangements were entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home. Friends and family are encouraged to offer condolences and share memories at www.wallinfuneralhome.com