Margaret "Maggie" L. Hissam

Margaret “Maggie” Hissam (nee Ashworth) aged 92 of Bainbridge Township crossed over on November 14, 2023.  She was born on May 27, 1931, to Thelma (nee Johnson) and Charles Ashworth in Moundsville, WV in her grandparents’ house.  She was the eldest grandchild of her Ashworth grandparents.  Maggie is preceded in death by her son Tom, her beloved husband Harold “Hadge” and her brother Butch.  She is survived by her daughter Jenny (David) Jones of Bainbridge Township, OH; her son Tim (Lucille) of Pflugerville, TX; and her daughter-in-law Mary Piepenbrink of Wilmington, NC.  Surviving grandchildren include: Mat Jones of Brisbane, AU; Anna Jones of Brisbane, AU; Lauren (Tyler) King of Newark, OH; Belle Hissam (Allison) of Chicago, IL; Lydia (Cody) Walker of Houston, TX; Rhett Hissam of Asheville, NC and Phillip Hissam of Pflugerville, TX.  Maggie is also survived by her siblings Robert (Sharon) Ashworth; David (Scotty) Ashworth; and sister-in-law Nancy Ashworth. 

Maggie spent many of her fondest years in wild and wonderful West Virginia.  While her Father and Uncles served in the war, Maggie and her Mother and Aunts would all go to Dr. Robert and Darthula’s lovely summer farm on Fish Creek.  Maggie loved sharing the stories of the adventures and fun they had.  It was a big farmhouse where generations gathered and created memories playing dominoes, fishing, cooking, visiting, walking, and splashing in the creek.  They would even drive cars down to wash in the creek!

After graduating from Moundsville High School, Maggie attended Ohio Valley Nursing School and became a Registered Nurse, alongside a lifelong friend, Martha.  Shortly after, one of her Aunts took the family to Hissam’s Arlington Cabins for a short trip, and that is where she met her beloved husband Hadge.  They met abruptly when Martha asked Hadge to wake Maggie up after he delivered a block of ice to the cabin – and he did so by putting ice on her back!  They began dating and at their first dance together they danced to “Blue Velvet.”  One afternoon, Hadge proposed at the same time his car was overheating; while the hood was up, and the radiator was cooling down, he got down on his knee.  Maggie and Hadge married on August 17, 1954, at her parents’ house in Moundsville, West Virginia with her Uncle officiating.

Maggie and Hadge loved to travel.  When Hadge was drafted into the Army, Maggie and Jenny joined him in Ansbach, Germany, which always held a special place in Maggie’s heart.  After returning to the U.S., Maggie enjoyed accompanying Hadge to physical education conventions, no matter where they were.  They had a goal to visit every state in the United Sates, and they did.  Maggie and her family would also frequent the Hissam camp in West Virginia, sitting in the creek, playing poker, and sharing stories around the campfire.  
Maggie was a social butterfly in the Bainbridge community.  She and Hadge were members of the Bainbridge Jaycees, making lifelong friends.  Maggie was the “neighborhood nurse” on Scotland Drive and for friends.  She worked as head nurse at Anna Maria in Aurora for many years, followed by Bedford Hospital and Visiting Nurses/Hospice for Geauga County.  She also taught swimming at Triple K Dude Ranch on Country Lane and later at the Chagrin Racquet Club.  In her later years, she lifeguarded at the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club.  

If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Maggie, you would remember her.  Growing up friends of Maggie’s children were envious of Jenny, Tim, and Tom as they believed Maggie was cool (and certainly ahead of her time.) She was spunky, sassy, and spoke her mind.  You never had to worry about what Maggie was thinking because she’d let you know.  Maggie was known for singing silly songs and tap dancing sometimes while cooking dinner.  When asked what supper she was cooking, she would reply “mosquito-fried eyebrows.” Maggie liked the Moody Blues, The Beatles, and The Eagles.  She also loved classical music and would go with Hadge and friends to the concerts for seniors on Fridays at Playhouse Square.  She was a lifelong learner but also athletic loving to regularly swim laps into her eighties.  She loved attending Miracles and being in the Crazy Ladies Group. 
But most of all, Maggie loved her family.  Before each grandchild was born, she went to help, even if that meant flying solo to Brisbane, Australia.  Maggie taught her granddaughters to be strong women like her.  She was very proud of her grandchildren and loved watching them perform.  Maggie and Hadge created a wonderful family and a lifetime of beautiful memories for them to cherish, the greatest gift they could give.  Though Maggie will be dearly missed, she is now with her loving husband, Hadge, and youngest son, Tom. Without a doubt, they are all dancing the night away together in Heaven.  A celebration of life for both Maggie and Hadge will be held in 2024.