...Margaret Ann (Carman) Pustell, age 91
?Margaret was born in Richmond, VA, May 4th, 1922 to Albert S. and Margaret (Edson) Carman. Along with her brother Bert the family lived in several locations along the east coast, settling in Poughkeepsie, NY where she graduated HS in 1940, class treasurer, Honor Student, and voted ‘most respected’. She then went on to graduate from Skidmore College in 1944 where she was the ‘Arty art major’.
As with so many in her generation, WWII defined Margaret in many ways. During college Margaret volunteered as an aid in a NYC hospital, and then joined the Navy in her Senior year as a WAVE. After graduation she served as a communications officer and assistant to the commandant in the Navy Yard in Brooklyn. She quickly married her college sweetheart Robert A. Pustell, they had a brief period of occasionally seeing each other before he shipped out to Europe a combat Lt in the infantry, and made a life and a family when he returned from Europe safe again. Margaret and Robert contributed to the baby boom by having 5 children; Robert, James, Marie, John and Stephen, once they got Robert through his college degree.
The young family lived in assorted locations from Ohio to Massachusetts before settling in for a long term in Melrose, MA, and an even longer time in Andover, MA.
Margaret was a staunch proponent for the environment, and for her community. Lending her strong art skills to any useful service.. promoting recycling and Earthday and anything her children or friends were involved in. In Melrose she helped start the Conservation commission, and In Andover she participated in early years of the Andover Recycling efforts often personally picking up missed recycled goods so no one would sour on the program. She worked hard on the Andover Recycling, AVIS, and the Community Pathways committees.
Art was Margaret’s 1st love, and she was skilled and accomplished. It provided a frame work for much of her career and family and volunteer life. Margaret created accomplished pieces even before majoring in Art at Skidmore. Later she became an expert potter, specializing in beautiful, practical pieces for home use. She continued to amass a body of work in pen and ink, water color and pastels, exhibiting in Andover Senior Center for women’s history month in 2009, along with other artists in her family from 1830 through her great-grandchildren.
When in Melrose, Margaret and Robert were members the Unitarian Church, in Andover they were members of West Parish Church.
Margaret was widowed in 2009, and is survived by her 5 children, 13 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and an extended family of friends and associates she has befriended and loved over her many decades.
The Memorial Service for Margaret Ann (Carman) Pustell will be held on Saturday, July 6th, at West Parish Church on Reservation Road, Andover, MA, at 2:00 PM. Let us celebrate her life together, Art, Family, and Community Service.
In Lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to either:
AMC 3 Mile Island camp (http://www.3mile.org) ?Via U.S. Mailboat?Laconia, NH 03246
or
AVIS Andover Village Improvement Society (http://www.avisandover.org/)? P.O. Box 5097?Andover, MA 01810.
For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.