Dr. Margaret Elizabeth Marshall

Dr. Margaret Elizabeth Marshall, born Margaret Elizabeth Blankenship on February 12

th

, 1935, made her final ascension to Heaven on May 22, 2016. She surpassed in death her parents, Glenn Buck Blankenship and Blanche Blankenship, brother Buck Blankenship, sister Mary Hewitt and nephew Warner Blankenship. She was survived by her daughter, Diane Hickman, her son, John Hickman, grandson’s Bryan Buffaloe, Michael Buffaloe, Daniel Smith and granddaughter’s Amanda Hickman and Jennifer Walsh, sister-in-law Jann Blankenship, nephew’s, Glenn Buck Blankenship, Benjamin Buck Blankenship and niece’s Kathrine Beckmann, Chrissy Reeder and Anne Marie Blankenship.

Margaret, or Maggie, as she preferred, grew up in Phoenix in a small house off Willeta Street. She and her siblings attended Phoenix Union High School. Maggie was always a social butterfly and served as her senior class president in 1953. She was extremely active in high school leadership throughout her years at Phoenix Union. After high school, Maggie attended Arizona State University (ASU), formerly Arizona State College. She received a Bachelor’s Degree and ultimately a Ph.D. in psychology; a proud member of Gamma Phi Beta, she was the third women to receive a Ph.D. from the university. Maggie also met the

father of her two children, John Hickman Sr. while attending ASU. Go Devils! She was a football and basketball season ticket holder and a proud member of the Sun Angels Foundation.

While studying for her Ph.D. She was an elementary teacher for the Madison School District. Once receiving her Ph.D. She served tirelessly in conciliation court for the Superior Court of Maricopa County. In 1971 she married Charles Marshall and inherited two step sons, Ed and Andy Marshall.

Before retirement in 2013, she opened her own practice where she served the community, offering marriage and family counseling, custody evaluations and supervised visitations, reuniting many families.

Maggie always had a way of keeping herself busy. She enjoyed swimming at the Arizona Biltmore, where she lived. She was a patron of the Phoenix Symphony, Opera and Ballet. Her happiest moments were watching her granddaughter dance with Ballet Arizona. A particular passion of hers was being in command of her destiny. She pursued and obtained her private pilot’s license and was a proud member of the

Women’s Pilot association

, The 99’s!

Maggie loved to travel the world, with her many friends and colleagues. She especially loved to visit San Diego, Calif., where her daughter and two grandsons lived. She loved the beach and the ocean. She traveled with and enjoyed watching her grandchildren sail recreationally and competitively all over the country.

Family was the most important thing to Maggie. She was devoted to supporting, nurturing and caring for all those she loved. Maggie had a huge impact on all those she surrounded, she will be greatly missed, but her legacy will continue on in this life and the next. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M., followed by a Funeral Service at 7:00 P.M., Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix.