Obituary

Margaret Helen Davis, MILLS RIVER, NC, age 68 (dob:8/13/53), passed away quietly at home in Mills River, North Carolina on May 2, 2022. Margaret was born in Northfield, Vermont to Wayne F. Davis & Laura Rumney Davis. Margaret was a 7th generation Vermonter who loved the beauty & tolerant culture of the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Margaret attended public schools in Vermont graduating from South Burlington High School in 1971. After high school, Margaret became interested in working with at-risk youth & became a runaway youth worker in Miami Beach.

Margaret returned home to Vermont where she entered the Vermont Police Academy & became the 2nd female police officer in the State of Vermont working for the Burlington (VT) Police Department. In 1986, Margaret was hired as a social worker for the State of Vermont in the Barre (VT) office. During her 30 year career with the State of Vermont, Margaret worked in child protection as an investigator, a trainer & supervisor for the special investigations unit.

During her tenure with the State of Vermont, Margaret received many awards & accolades, including Social Worker of the Year. She was  instrumental in creating a program called OUR House of Central Vermont, whose mission is to support children who have been abused. Margaret continued to support OUR House until her passing.

Margaret retired from state service in 2010 & moved to Asheville, North Carolina, with her longtime partner & love of her life, Don Mandelkorn, where they started a business, Green Mountain Maple, selling Vermont Maple Syrup throughout the Southeast.

Margaret & Don enjoyed traveling the Southern countryside in their 1961 International Harvester Metro Van working fairs & festivals, trade & consumer shows.

Margaret earned her Bachelor’s & Master’s after her 50th birthday. She was an artist, a published author, a professional clown, named Lady Haha, performing at nursing homes, & a background artist, ie, “extra”, appearing in several TV shows & movies.

Family Information

Margaret leaves behind Don Mandelkorn, his son, Jordan, & his wife, Nicole, & grandson, Dylan. 

Margaret also leaves behind her son, Lee Hughes of Barre, Vermont, & grandson, Jack, her daughter, Whitney Hughes of Arlington, VA, & Stacey Whitney of Park City, Utah.

Margaret leaves behind her beloved sisters, Gale Holden of Burlington, VT, Diane McArthur of Inverness, Florida, Carolyn Ray of Woodbury, Vermont, & a brother, Brian Spicer of Canonsburg, PA along with many in-laws, nephews & nieces.