79
July 3
Sioux Falls
Margaret Marie Looby was born December 16, 1940, at St. Joseph Hospital in Mitchell, to Edward and Marjorie Looby of Artesian.
She attended school in Artesian and graduated valedictorian in 1958. She attended Mount Marty College in Yankton for her freshman year and then transferred to Northern State Teachers’ College and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Secondary Education in 1962. She was hired by the Sioux Falls School District in August of that year and taught at Patrick Henry Junior High for 15 years.
In 1968, she was invited by the Scholastic Publishing Company to serve on their Teacher’s Advisory Board and attended the annual meeting in New York City. She also represented her district at the 1968 National Social Studies Convention in Washington, D.C. At that time, she was invited to join a professional women’s teacher organization Delta Kappa Gamma and was an active member for 40 years.
In 1978, she earned her Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. In the fall of 1978, she transferred to Washington High School and spent 14 years as a Reading Specialist and English teacher. In 1991, an opportunity opened to teach at the new Roosevelt High School, where she was the Reading Specialist and taught American Literature and Composition for the next eight years. In 1999, Margaret became eligible for early retirement and welcomed the opportunity after 37 years of teaching.
Margaret was an avid bowler for 40 years in the Twilight League of the Sioux Falls Women’s Bowling Association. In retirement, Margaret enjoyed traveling to visit cousins in the Phoenix area and Rockford, Ill. She volunteered at St. Michael’s Church and the Sioux Falls Area Retired Teachers’ Organization. Margaret’s greatest joy was to be a fan in the bleachers at her great nieces’ and nephews’ football, volleyball and basketball games, both at the high school level and collegiate level.
Grateful for having shared her life are her sister Kathleen, Hartford, brother, John (Patricia), Hartford, niece Teresa Hofer (Mark), Hartford, nephew, John Looby (Jen), Rapid City, grandnieces, Whitney Flanagan, Jamey Jenkins, Lexy Groeneweg, Rachel Looby and grandnephews, Kelly Hofer and Nick Looby, nine great-grandnieces and nephews, and several cousins including a close cousin Diane Hall, Sioux Falls. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Memorials may be directed to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Artesian, SD 57314.
Due to COVID-19, memorial services will be planned at a later date.
Arrangements provided by Miller Funeral Home.