Margaret Bowman Ricks
Margaret Bowman Ricks passed away peacefully in Lake Oswego, Oregon the morning of December 2, 2022 in the presence of her husband and daughter. She was a long time Montessori educator and had been fighting cancer for several years.
Margaret was born in Oakland, California, she was a graduate of Purdue University, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta throughout her life. Margaret worked initially for the Columbia Gas Company as a home economics educator and stage chef, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. After her marriage to Ted in 1963, she worked as a dietitian while he was pursuing graduate studies at Indiana University.
After a time as a stay-at-home mom, Margaret began her career as an educator. She taught at Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut starting in 1982, and in 1989 she moved on to be Head of School at Kingsley School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Later, she founded the Bowman School in Palo Alto, California from a single classroom in 1995 until her retirement in 2008, at which point the school had grown to 180 students spanning K-8.
Margaret enjoyed needlework of all kinds, gardening and travel, but her greatest interest was always her family. She loved family gatherings and time with her grandchildren, and these visits continued through her battle with cancer and the pandemic. Always gracious, kind, and quick-witted she will forever be loved and greatly missed.
Margaret is survived by her husband, Ted; and 3 children: Mary Beth, Dave, and Jim; her 6 grandchildren Megan, Madison, Joe, Kasara, Kate, and Michael; and her 3 brothers: Tom, Jim, and Chris. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gil and Mary.
The funeral Mass will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belmont, California on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 11:00 AM.
A memorial Mass in honor of Margaret will be said at Our Lady of the Lake in Lake Oswego, Oregon on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Margaret Bowman Ricks Scholarship Fund at Bowman School.
