Obituary of Margaret Thouron Harrell

Margaret Thouron Harrell On September 10th, 2022, Margaret Thouron Harrell of Wilmington, Delaware passed away peacefully at the age of 79 years. Margaret was born on October 22, 1942 to George Gray Thouron Jr. and Margaret Cucullu Thouron. Margaret attended The Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE and St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, MD. A graduate from The Sweet Briar College in 1964, she went on to get her MBA from Columbia University in 1973. Margaret moved to New York City directly after college and got her first job working at Merrill Lynch. It was in New York that she met her husband, Paul H. Harrell Jr. Married in 1967, together they had two children; Michael (Mike) and Piper. They were married for 53 years until Paul’s death in 2020. After the birth of Michael, Margaret went on to earn an MBA from Columbia University. Margaret’s natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life coupled with her deep intelligence made her uniquely successful in bridging financial literacy and human services. With this focus Margaret worked with a variety of non-profits as a freelance bookkeeper while living in New York. After 20 plus years of living in Manhattan Paul and Margaret moved to her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. Margaret continued to work for small non-profit and religious organizations until 1991 when she created the company Checks and Records. Through Checks and Records Margaret provided financial support and personal accounting for individuals and their families facing challenges during the later part of life. She obtained a certificate in gerontology from the University of Delaware and dedicated herself to providing guidance, assurance and trust in matters financial and otherwise during this period of transition. Many will remember Margaret as a wonderful athlete who was a gracious but fierce competitor. She was a beautiful golf and tennis player whose natural ability and easy going demeanor made her a sought after partner and teammate. During Covid she secured a ping pong table for her retirement community so she and her friends could still het on the court. In short, she loved to "play" and could be found delighting in the rhythm of a bridge game with friends as much as a go-fish game with her grandchildren. She and Paul’s return to Delaware cemented her connections to her many lifelong friends in the area. At the end of her life she cherished these connections and the comfort of their shared history. Margaret will be remembered most for her kindness towards others and the grace with which she lived her life. She never sought out attention but instead focused on the needs of others. She cared deeply for family, friends and even strangers - much more than she did for herself. Margaret was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Paul H. Harrell, Jr., siblings Nancy T. Nash and George G. Thouron Jr. and her granddaughter Jane Moore Morrison Harrell. She is survived by her son Michael Harrell, his wife Jane and their children Piper, Max and Sam. Daughter Piper Harrell, her husband Peter Goetz and their children Lucy, Miles and Gus. Services will be held at Trinity Episcopal Parish in downtown Wilmington on Friday, September 16 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Jane’s Fund at 7804 Fairview Road, PO Box 243, Charlotte, NC 28226. Jane's Fund was created in honor of Margaret’s granddaughter, Jane Harrell. Its purpose is to provide financial and emotional support to children and families experiencing personal hardship. Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the tribute wall provided.