Margaret Leonora (Kulikowski) Woitkowski of Nashua, NH, passed away too soon on October 2, 2018. A bright light in the world has been extinguished.
She is survived by her only child, Roberta Woitkowski, cousins Priscilla Slatunas and Edmund Wolodzko, of Nashua, Richard and Sandra Walent of Portsmouth, and Martha Walent of Merrimack.
Born in Nashua on April 18, 1938, she was predeceased by her parents, Leonard, Sr. and Madeline (Walentukevich) Kulikowski, and her brother, Leonard Kulikowski, Jr. and aunts and uncles.
Margaret attended school in Nashua, graduating eleventh from Nashua Senior High School in 1955. She graduated from Keene Teachers College in Keene, NH, class of 1959 and was inducted into the Epsilon Pi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, a National Honor Society in Education.
Margaret was a life-long teacher, teaching at the Arlington Street School and Jewett Street Elementary, Nashua; one year of kindergarten at Webster Street School in Manchester; and the remainder of her career at the Charlotte Avenue Elementary School in Nashua.
After retiring from teaching, Margaret was involved in a large variety of local projects. She volunteered for many groups in the City of Nashua, NH including the Hunt Memorial Library. She was elected as Selectman for Ward Two.
Margaret and her daughter Roberta worked on many projects together. They were editors of the NH American Legion Senior Baseball Tournament Program for years 2014-2016. They also designed programs, postcards, and newspaper ad for Nashua’s Community Concert Association and the Lithuanian Heritage Concerts.
Margaret was of Lithuanian heritage and was involved in her heritage’s ethnic celebrations in New Hampshire. She was a co-chairman of the Lithuanian concert series presented by the Lithuanian-American groups BAFAS and LABAS that presented an annual concert in Nashua. In 2017, Margaret and Roberta were asked to be part of the “True Lithuania: Destination America” project that located sites associated with the Lithuanians who came to America in the last century. As a kind and outgoing person, she was perfectly suited to working with the public on these activities and she never failed to give everyone one of her amazing smiles.
In 2007, Margaret and her daughter, Roberta restored their 1850s era family home in Nashua. Their contractor for this project, Dan Tomolonis, became their art partner and together they created many lasting pieces of art for Nashua and environs.
Their first foray into the art world began with the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium in 2010. Their creation, “Diversity”, is located on Front Street in Nashua. Margaret wrote the description on the plaque, “In diversity, there is unity. Through the expression of our feelings we share the grace of creativity.”
The sculpture was followed by an art installation in the lobby of the NH State Liquor Store on Coliseum Avenue in Nashua. In the fall of 2012, they created “Moments in New Hampshire” a large custom frame with photos of the beauty of New Hampshire.
Contributing as both writers and artists, the trio’s work was selected for inclusion in N is for Nashua: A Children’s Alphabet & Art Book, a NH Symphony Fundraiser published in November 2013.
In 2013, they designed the art for the bike jerseys for 32nd Annual Prouty, a fundraiser for the Friends of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. In May 2013, Margaret’s submission of a digital fictitious wine label Velvet Pleasure was selected by a juried panel.
From 2013 through 2017, the trio’s digital art was chosen for the Healing with Art Project at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Nashua. This project hangs the artwork of local artists in the Nashua, Manchester and Lebanon centers.
Calling hours will be held at the FARWELL FUNERAL HOME, 18 Lock Street, Nashua on Thursday, October 4th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon followed by her funeral service at 12 o’clock. Interment will take place at the former Lithuanian Cooperative Cemetery (now Pinewood) on Pine Hill Road in Nashua. Friends are invited to attend. Arrangements are in the care of the FARWELL FUNERAL SERVICE. (603) 882-0591. www.farwellfuneralservice.com
