Marguerite E. Eccleston

Marguerite Eccleston, formerly of New Castle Delaware, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, her 95th birthday.
Marguerite was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Moylan, PA in 1943. After graduation she worked as a bookkeeper for Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, PA. It was at Baldwin where she met her husband of 47 years Byard P. Eccleston. They were married in September 1948 and moved to New Castle, Delaware where they raised two daughters, Marylou & Carol.
Active her whole life, she played tennis and golf in her younger years and enjoyed Yoga, Tai chi and daily walks in New Castle's Battery Park in her later years. She was always up to date on current events and was an avid reader, including books on tape when her vision began to fail. She always had a house full of plants, many of them nurtured from small cuttings.
Marguerite also volunteered her time to a variety of local organizations including Girl Scouts of America, Our Lady of Fatima School Library, Our Lady of Fatima Outreach Program, Emmanuel Dining Room and Meals on Wheels. She continued her busy volunteer schedule well into her 80s.
She was a member of the New Castle Century Club, an organization founded in 1914 by a group of women interested in civic improvement and the cultural advancement of its members. She was also a founding member of the New Castle Talk Eat & Work (TEW) Club. TEW was a group of local women who met weekly to socialize and do a variety of crafting activities rotating among each member's homes. Sadly, Marguerite was the last surviving member of the TEW Club. A devout Catholic, she was a parishioner at Our Lady of Fatima Church for over 50 years attending Mass weekly. When declining health made that more difficult, she continued to watch Sunday Mass every week on EWTN. Marguerite was predeceased by her husband Byard Paul Eccleston, her parents John and Santella Ezzi and her sister Florence Roberts. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters Marylou Goodkind (Gerald) of Johns Creek, GA, Carol O'Connor (Darrell) of Wilmington and her grandchildren, Sara Wakefield (Chris), Benjamin Goodkind both of Johns Creek, GA, Daniel O'Connor of Dewey Beach and John O'Connor of Wilmington. She was also blessed with two great grandchildren, Charlotte and Ellis Wakefield. Donations in Marguerite's name may be made online to The Food Bank of Delaware or sent to 222 Lake Dr. Newark, DE 19702. Services will be private with a Memorial Mass at a later date.