Margaret Hunter Malpass

Turkey, NC – Margaret Reid Hunter Malpass, loving wife and mother, at the age of 80 years old, peacefully passed away on July 16, 2024, at her home.

Margaret was born November 18, 1943, the fifth child of Louise Morning Brooks and James Magruder Hunter, Jr., and was married to Mitchell Allen Malpass on December 20, 1968.  She is survived by their daughters Dorothy Cummins (Deedie) Malpass Freeman and husband, David of Liberty, NC and Mary Morning Malpass Daughtry and husband, Kevin, of Newton Grove, NC.  Three grandchildren, David Brooks Freeman, Jr., Margaret Hunter (Maggie) Freeman, and Mitchell Malpass Freeman, will dearly miss their adored grandmother.

Margaret was preceded in death by two brothers, James Magruder Hunter, III, and wife Dorothy Hartis, and Douglas Brooks Hunter and wife, Betty Stone.  She is survived by sister, Lou Underwood Hunter Bouldin (Gene) of High Point, NC, Mary Morning Hunter Owen (Jim) of Hyco Lake, Semora, NC, and Susan Avent Hunter of Kernersville, NC.

After graduation from Union High School in 1962, Margaret attended High Point College and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Fine Arts and Art Education) in 1966.  Later in 1977, she attended UNC-Wilmington earning a second degree in Intermediate Education.

Her visual arts teaching career began in her beloved Sampson County with an ESEA Grant in 1967-1968.  She was assigned ten total schools: Garland Elementary, Hargrove High School, Charles E. Perry Elementary, Charles E. Perry High School, Clement Elementary, Halls-Piney Grove Primary School, Hobbton High School, Midway High School, Salemburg Primary School, Hobbton High School, Midway High School, Salemburg Elementary, and Plain View Elementary.  Margaret also taught art workshops offered for teachers in the remaining county schools.  In 1968-1971, while newly married in Wilmington, NC, she taught art classes at Roland-Grise Junior High in New Hanover County and Continuing Education Classes at Cape Fear Technical College. 

In 1979, the Malpass Family returned to her home of Sampson County, where Margaret resumed her teaching career.  She taught at Turkey Elementary, in the Remedial Reading Lab, for the final year before Turkey Elementary was consolidated with Hargrove and Union Elementary Schools.  She was assigned to Hargrove where her girls would attend, and taught 5th grade for eight years.

In 1988, with the implementation of the Basic Education Plan by the NC Legislature, visual arts were introduced for grades K-5.  Margaret began the year teaching those grades in the Union District at Union, Garland, and Bland Elementary Schools.  The second semester, she moved to the Hobbton District, teaching at Hargrove and Hobbton Elementary Schools. 

In 1989, the middle school concept was developed, and Margaret taught 7th and 8th grades art at Halls-Piney Grove Junior High School, plus the sixth grades, which were still housed at the two feeder elementary schools.  Soon the new Hobbton Middle School was completed and she remained there until retirement in the 1999-2000 school year.  During this period of her career, she also taught a Continuing Education Art class at Sampson Community College, directed and taught Sampson Arts Camp for eight years, and taught private lessons to students at her personal home studio, out in Turkey.

Margaret was continually perfecting her teaching craft, while enriching her abilities in the classroom.  Her professional development activities include: NCEA, NC(Art)EA, NC Middle School Association, Member of the Praxis for NC (94-95), NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (1989), and SDPI/Penland School for Crafts Scholarships for two weeks during the summer of 1989.

Margaret was named Teacher of the Year at the following schools:  Hargrove Elementary, 1983-1984; Halls, Piney Grove Junior High, 1989-1990; Hobbton Middle 1997-1998; and Sampson County Schools Teacher of the year 1997-

1998.

Few Sampson County students had the opportunity to receive formal art lessons in school.  After their first three years in middle school art classes, approximately a half dozen of Margaret’s students went to major in art and became Visual Arts teacher in Sampson County and elsewhere.  Margaret always declared this was her most rewarding career accomplishment.

Margaret was a former member of the Clinton Garden Club and also served on the JC Holiday Library Board.  She was a devoted member of the Sampson Arts Council from its inception, and she recently served as a member of the Executive Board.  She belonged to the James Kenan Chapter UDC for a number of years.

Margaret was a devoted Christian and member of First Methodist Church in Clinton for 40 years.  In the past she demonstrated her faith through being an active leader in church programs.  More recently Margaret taught Sunday School classes, served on church boards and committees, was president of the First Methodist Women, and led several FMW circles.  She was a devoted member of the Ida Johnson Circle.  She demonstrated her love and faith by making all projects in which she was a part, creatively beautiful.

A memorial service for Margaret Hunter Malpass will be held Saturday, July 20, 2024, at First Methodist Church, Clinton, NC.  Visitation will be in the sanctuary at 3:00 pm, and immediately after, the service will begin at t 4:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorials to the following organization dear to Margaret’s heart:  Backpack Buddies at First Methodist Church (208 Sampson Street, Clinton, NC  28328); Life Line of Sampson County (109 W Main Street, Clinton, NC  28328), Liberty Hospice of Sampson County (208 Beaman Street, Clinton, NC  28328).  ALS United of North Carolina (4 N Blount Street-Suite 200, Raleigh, NC  27601) is also a worthy organization supporting the ALS patients with research and care.