Margaret Pugh Saville Rose

Margaret Pugh Saville Rose, of Fredericksburg, Va., and formerly of Shepherdstown and Charles Town, died in her home on Tuesday, April 15, 2014.

Margaret was born in 1946, the last of four children. It was the one and only time she found herself last, be it school, work, community service, or any other endeavor. From Speaker of the House at the 1963 Convocation of West Virginia Girls State Government to coordinator of Foreign Language and ESL for Stafford County Public Schools, Margaret was an engaging and encouraging leader.

Margie grew up in Jefferson County, following her father into youth leadership of the local 4-H chapter, and her mother into a career in education. She was a campus leader in both high school and college, graduating with honors from Charles Town High School in 1964 and West Virginia University in 1968. Perhaps most significant among her university laurels was a summer scholarship to study at the University of Avignon, France. Margaret’s pursuit of learning continued throughout her life, earning her a Master’s Degree in French from Tulane University and another Master’s in Education from VCU.

Madame Rose was a passionate and cherished teacher, who inspired many of her students to follow her into the field of education. She taught French in New Orleans and Germany before answering the call to King George High School, where she served as teacher and department chair for more than 20 years. In 1994, she became an administrator in Stafford County and shifted her energies to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students who spoke English as a second language. Margaret was also a tremendous resource to her fellow teachers. For three decades, she spearheaded foreign language curriculum development in the state of Virginia and taught both methodology and French courses at Mary Washington College.

With her husband, Jon Rose, Margaret moved to Fredericksburg in 1974 and raised two sons, Eric and Nick. In addition to her constant and spirited support of her sons, Margaret directed her local involvement to agencies of communal and global impact. Through active membership at Christ Lutheran Church, she organized outreach to combat homelessness, hunger, and apartheid. Through founding membership of the Sister City Association, she created an intercontinental exchange of students, culture, and amity. In addition to several terms as president of the Sister City Association, Madame Rose chaperoned student trips to Frejus, France in 1981 and 1983.

Margaret is survived by her beloved sons and daughters-in-law, Eric Rose and Meredith Sheffer, of Columbia, S.C., and Nick Rose and Mandy Chappell, of Seattle, Wash. She is also survived by her sisters, Mary Louise de Sarran and Elizabeth Burns, of Bowie, Md.; and her brother, James Saville and his wife, Janis, of Denton, Texas.

She was predeceased by her parents, James Edward and Louise Pugh Saville; and her brother-in-law, Larry Burns.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at Christ Lutheran Church, in Fredericksburg.

Memorial donations in Margaret’s name may be directed to the Fredericksburg Sister City Association, 600 Princess Anne St. No. 7253, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

More information and online guestbook available at covenantfuneralservice.com.