Margie “Marge” Wooten, nee Marjory Louise Eddy, age 93, passed away on September 22, 2019 at Tribute at The Glen assisted living community in Woodbridge, Virginia. Marge was born in Alton, Illinois to Samuel Henry and Elizabeth Celia (Kemry) Eddy. She had two older siblings, Mildred and Henry. Marge was raised in Louisiana, Missouri by her cousin Ilah (Fields) Banister and Ilah’s husband Samuel Banister. Two years after graduating from Louisiana High School in 1943, Marge moved to Washington, DC. While working as a secretary at the Pentagon, Marge met her future husband, then US Army Captain John Henry Wooten, III (retired US Army Lt. Colonel, died May 26, 2003). On August 6, 1949, John and Marge married at Ft. Leslie McNair Chapel, Washington, DC.
John and Marge had six children: John (deceased), Karen, James (deceased), Kathleen (deceased), Joseph (deceased) and Kristina. Marge had ten (10) grandchildren—Nicole, Kendra, Lauren (deceased), Morgann, Angie, Jacqueline, Kemry, Colton, Rhiannon, and Rachel (deceased) and thirteen (13) great-grandchildren—Nicole’s daughters Theresa and Samantha; Kendra’s son Reese; Morgann’s children Robbie, Katie, and Dominick; Angie’s children Kaia, Kolt, Aliya, Jacqueline’s daughters Sky and Kira; and Rhiannon’s son Joseph. She is also served by her cousins Kathleen Emerson and Mary Gilbaugh—grandchildren of Ilah and Samuel Banister.
Marge enjoyed her life as a military spouse. Years after her husband retired, she worked as a secretary for the Fairfax County Health Department and then for the National Park Service. Working as a secretary at the Kennedy Center was the job she loved most.
Marge also dedicated considerable time in service to others. Most meaningful to her, in the early 1960’s Marge restructured military spouse donations to better serve the children’s needs at Han No Children TB Hospital in South Korea. Marge also held various leadership positions in Calvert County, Maryland, where she resided from 1985 to 2019, including her service as president of the Calvert County Democratic Club and president of the Western Shores Civic Association in Port Republic. In 1998 she was awarded the Women’s Recognition Award for Outstanding Community Service by the Calvert County Commission for Women. Marge also volunteered many years of service to Catholic Charities and St. John Vianney Church, where she was a parishioner.
Marge will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In alignment with Marge’s love for the military and her desire to serve others, please send donations, in lieu of flowers, to Fisher House Foundation (https://www.fisherhouse.org) or Gary Sinese Foundation (https://www.garysinisefoundation.org).
