Margaret M McLeod

Margaret McLeod, 58, died at home on Saturday, January 12, 2019. She was born in Derby, CT to Mary (nee McGoey) and James McLeod, Sr. on March 26, 1960. She attended Assumption School in Ansonia through 8th grade, then graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, CT in 1978. As a child, she spent her summers swimming at Recreation Camp in Derby, CT, one of her favorite places on earth, where she eventually became a lifeguard and counselor. Margaret attended Washington University in Saint Louis, where she earned a Bachelor’s in Finance in 1982. For the rest of her life, she was very grateful for the tuition assistance of the National Merit Scholarship, Connecticut State Scholars program, Emhart Corporation (now Black & Decker), the Danforth Foundation, and Wash U. These scholarships changed both her life and her children’s lives. After graduating college, she worked at First Chicago Bank (now J.P. Morgan Chase) and completed an MBA at the University of Chicago in 1985. While living in Chicago, she met Tim Walls, whom she married in 1989 at the Evanston Friends Meeting House in Evanston, IL. Their daughter, Noreen, was born in Chicago in 1993, before they moved to Connecticut so that Margaret could take a job at PepsiCo. Their son, Liam, was born in Connecticut in 1997, following which the family moved to Louisville, KY along with the Yum! Brands spin-off from PepsiCo. She learned an incredible amount during her years at Yum! Brands, and was grateful for the guidance of her peers and mentors there. In 2001, Margaret and her family moved to Saint Joseph, MI, within walking distance of Lake Michigan, where she enjoyed swimming laps of Silver Beach and eating ice cream downtown. In 2005, she and Tim adopted a daughter, Anya, who brought further joy and energy to their family. Margaret worked at Whirlpool, retiring as the company’s Treasurer in 2015. Throughout her tenure, she truly valued her relationships with colleagues around the Whirlpool world, as well as her beloved KitchenAid stand mixer. After retiring to her porch chair (in summer) and armchair (in winter), she deeply appreciated the company of her many visitors, who always had book reviews, food, or local news to share. She wanted to thank the families she was blessed to be a part of, including the All God’s Children Choir family and the Bridge to China family, which enriched her life greatly. She appreciated her friends, siblings, and siblings-in-law, who offered entertainment, support, and lots of delicious food. Margaret is survived by her husband, Tim Walls of St. Joseph, and her three children: Noreen Walls, Liam Walls, and Anya Walls. She is also survived by her siblings: James McLeod (Mary Ann Kowalski) of Sarasota, FL, Maureen McLeod of Valrico, FL, and Kathleen McLeod of Greensboro, NC; and her siblings-in-law: Ann (Phil) Ponce of Chicago, IL, Kathy (Fred) Shorter of Indianapolis, IN, and Elizabeth (Jim) Root of Barrington, IL. She requested that her family continue to congregate on her porch every summer in her memory. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Sat., Jan. 19, 2019 at 2:30pm, at Starks & Menchinger Funeral Home. Family will receive friends from 1:00-2:30pm at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in honor of Margaret’s life to Benton Harbor Street Ministries Endowment administered by the Berrien Community Foundation (https://www.berriencommunity.org/bhstreetministires). Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com