Margaret Elizabeth Hampton

Just three days shy of her 95th birthday, Margaret passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family.

She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Mike Piskura and Elizabeth Zipay, a Slovak immigrant. Her brother John was born three years later. They spoke Slovak at home; Margaret learned English after starting school. Margaret's father Mike never learned to read; he supported the family by working in a steel mill. They moved 16 times around the Cleveland area during Margaret's childhood. She always spoke fondly of her brother and her cousins and the joy they brought to her life.

In 1958 she moved to California, where she worked in the fashion industry as a designer. She married Albert Hampton in 1964, and they raised their two boys, Stephen and David, in Hidden Hills next door to the deCarteret family with whom the Hamptons have enjoyed a nearly 60-year next-door-neighborly friendship.
Margaret was a founding member of the Law Advocates of San Fernando Valley. She was proud of her work creating the California booklet When you Become 18 which educates young adults on their legal rights and responsibilities. She was an active member of the Assistance League of San Fernando Valley. She taught fashion design, pattern-making and sewing classes into her mid-80's. She cared for Al at home for 17 years before he died in 2007, and she became a passionate advocate for Alzheimer's research. She took classes at Pierce College into her early 90's and would have continued watercolor and current events classes in the past year if they hadn't been canceled due to the pandemic.

Most people describe Margaret as full of energy and initiative, vivacious, never shy about sharing her opinions. A longtime "young Republican," she embraced progressive positions on most issues. She was a force for women's rights for most of her life. A child of the Great Depression and the war years, she saved everything as you never know when you might need it. She loved opening her home to people from other countries as much as she loved traveling to experience other cultures. She celebrated international diversity in food, art, books, movies, museums, friends, and stories of perseverance.

Margaret is survived by her sons Steve (Lonna) and Dave (Diane); grandchildren Caleb (Eunice), Luke, Elias, Hunter, Reed, Emilia; and great grandson Mawuli Isaiah. She is also survived by sister-in-law Alyce Piskura (wife of Margaret's brother John who passed away in December 2020).

The Hampton family wishes to thank the entire Tila Family, especially caregivers Alberto and Mario, for their loving care, which improved Margaret's quality of life and enabled her to remain in her own home until the end.