Margaret Ann Hebeisen

Margaret A. ("Marge" or "Margie") Hebeisen, age 79, passed away peacefully in her home on Lake Winnipesaukee on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 surrounded by her loving family.

Marge was born Margaret Ann Krauss on November 15, 1943 in Oak Lawn, IL, the youngest daughter of George and Lillian (Beck) Krauss. Marge attended the Oak Lawn public school system and graduated from Oak Lawn High School in 1961, where she participated in student council, school and club sports, and was a member of the a capella choir. Her kids still remember listening to a Christmas album recorded by the choir as a beloved holiday ritual. She loved to tell people that her childhood nicknames were "legs" and "giggles."

In her junior year, Marge began dating her high school sweetheart, John Hebeisen, who managed to secure a first kiss and won her heart on their very first date. John and Marge married in 1964 while John was a metallurgical engineering student at the University of Illinois, and they quickly began growing their family. John's work took the family to Columbus, OH; Mt Lebanon, PA; and Andover, MA, and the family made lifelong friends at each stop. Several times per year, Marge and John would load up "the family truckster" and roadtrip with the kids back to the Chicago area for family visits. There were also many memorable family trips to Lake Tomahawk, WI; Bradenton, FL; and Deep Creek, MD.

In Andover, Marge shepherded her children through the school system and worked as the office manager for a local dentist office, welcoming patients and befriending officemates with her warmth and helpfulness.

In the 1980s Marge and the family began renting vacation houses at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, and in 1990 they purchased a lakefront property in Moultonborough. Marge's children and grandchildren fondly remember bringing groups of friends up to the lake for water skiing, tubing, waverunning, snowmobiling, and fishing. Marge loved playing host to family and friends and perfected the art of the fish fry. John and Marge retired to the lake property in 2006 and established deep friendships with their Cottage Road neighbors. They began "snowbirding" to the small winter home they had inherited in Bradenton, FL.

Marge loved sports, having played in softball and tennis leagues in Mt. Lebanon and Andover. She loved rooting for the home team, and she was a good luck charm for the Steelers (4 Super Bowl victories while residing in PA), the Patriots (6 Super Bowl victories while residing in New England) and the Buccaneers (1 Super Bowl victory while residing part time near Tampa). Coincidence? Maybe. Marge's other passions were gardening, cooking, and anything in which her kids and grandkids became interested.

Marge's defining legacy is the happiness and love she spread every day of her life, and her love was returned to her many times over by a long list of friends and family across the country. Marge's grandchildren were her passion and she doted on them endlessly with a packed calendar of babysitting, sporting activities, and performances. Marge hosted the grandkids for "Camp Grandma" each summer, a week-long sleepover at the lake that no doubt boosted the balance sheet for many Lakes Region grocery stores, arcades, ice cream parlors, gift shops, and Clark's Trading Post. She had a unique way of making everyone she met feel like they were the only one in the room, and her dimpled smile and signature laugh warmed every heart. Many friends of her children considered her to be their "surrogate mom" due to her nurturing tendencies. Even in her final weeks Marge charmed and befriended her caregivers at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Marge is survived by John, her husband of 59 years; her brother, George Krauss Jr., of Sun City Center, FL; her sister, Carol Walsh, of Chicago, IL; her four children and their spouses, Stephen and Teresa Hebeisen of Amawalk, NY; Robert and Julie Hebeisen of Newburyport, MA; Mark and Rhonda Hebeisen of Marblehead, MA; and Laura and Daniel Gillis of Auburn, NH. Marge is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Megan Doyle, Christina Hebeisen, Vivian Hebeisen, Matthew Hebeisen (and fiancee Ashley Wedge), Samantha Hebeisen (and fiance Samuel Maker), Derek Gillis, Maria Gillis, Emily DiFonzo, Anna DiFonzo, and Grace DiFonzo. Marge was preceded in death by family and friends including George and Lillian Krauss, Alois and Clara Hebeisen, Margaret Shultz, Sean Walsh, Carolyn Krauss, Dr. Howie Wolf, M.D., Jeffrey Canovitch, Donald Boulia, Susan Bucknam, and Floyd Hatlee.

Wake services for Margaret Hebeisen will be from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Sunday, May 21 at Mayhew Funeral Home in Meredith, NH. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Laconia, NH on Monday, May 22.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to the American Cancer Society or your local hospice nonprofit.