Margaret Klohck

Margaret Mitchell Klohck was born on Nov. 17, 1945 in Albany, the child of Norman and Jessie Mitchell.

Margaret grew up in Schenectady until 1958, when her family moved to Lee, Massachusettes, where she graduated from Lee High School in 1963. She attended Berkshire County Community College for nurses training and received her LPN pin.

She moved back to the Schenectady area where she worked at various jobs. She found her real vocation while living in Middlebury, Vermony where she worked with learning disabled students as a teaching assistant at the Hannaford Career Center. After moving back to New York, she continued this work for 12 years at the Wildwood School in Albany before retiring in 2001.

On Feb. 6, 1981, Margaret and the Reverend George Klohck were married. George was serving as a United Methodist pastor in Schenectady. Margaret and George would both say that their real lives began when they found each other.

Together, they delighted in the relationships they developed with their three children and with the friends they made wherever they lived. They served churches in Schenectady, Middlebury, Vermont, and Voorheesville. While serving in Middlebury, they both fell in love with Vermont, and especially Middlebury. They decided that this was where they would live when they retired.

And so, in 2001 they returned to Vermont, first to New Haven, then Bridport, and finally in 2012 to Middlebury. In 2024, to live near family, they moved to Lake Placid.

Margaret, always active in church, served in many leadership positions in the United Methodist Church. She always served with her husband in the churches that he served. She served on committees and boards in the United Methodist Troy Conference.

Margaret and George served together as Volunteers-in Mission in Mozambique and Northern Ireland and in Louisiana and New Mexico. For about 20 years, Margaret was a member of Democratic committees, first in Bridport and then in Middlebury. She was elected three times as a Justice of the Peace in Middlebury. She was an activist advocating for peace and justice and marriage equality.

Margaret is survived by three children: her daughter Leslie Shannon (Gary Bishop) of Lake Placid, her two stepchildren, Beth Zuckerman (Eric) of Berkeley, California and Tim Klohck (Angelina), and their two children, Maya and Leonardo (Leo) Klohck of Redondo Beach, California. She is survived by three adult grandchildren, Dr. Hope Shannon (David Tooley) of Hyattsville, Maryland, Kerry Shannon Blinn (Chad) and a great-grandson, Declan Charles Blinn of Lake Placid, and Mitchell Shannon of Lake Placid. She is also survived by her loving sister Theresa Morrello of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Margaret leaves several cousins, two of whom live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and two others in Scotland. Exchanging visits with these cousins always brought great joy.

When care at a nursing home became necessary, great sadness was felt by Margaret’s family. George, continuing to live nearby in an apartment, spent time with her every day to show her his love and to assist in her care. Leslie cared for her mother and gave valuable assistance many times when her help was needed. For the care that Margaret received in the nursing home for several months, Margaret’s family is very grateful.

A memorial service will be held at the Middlebury, Vermont United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m. with a reception to follow at the church. Donations in memory of Margaret to the charity of the donor’s choice will be much appreciated.

The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home in Lake Placid is in charge of arrangements. Please visit www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest book, share a memory, upload a photograph or leave condolences for the Klohck family.