Margaret K. J. Ohara

Margaret K. J. Ohara



Alfred



Margaret "Maggie" Ohara of Alfred, NY, died on Saturday, 14 August 2010, while

recovering from heart surgery at Rochester General Hospital. She was born on

14 April 1928, reared and educated in Hawaii. As a young girl, she performed as

an aerial and acrobatic artist at civic organizations and a popular circus in

Hawaii as well as the USO during World War II. An accomplished swimmer and

diver, she held a Swimming National Championship which qualified her for the

Olympic Games. A major disappointment was the cancellation of the Games

because of the war.



Maggie was a certified civil service employer with positions at Pearl Harbor,

Hawaii; Veterans Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Army Signal Corp--all

in Philadelphia; and Fort Jackson, S.C. Her last employer was Alfred University

where she worked in the business office. But her main contribution is the AU

Women's Swim Team which she founded and coached successfully.



The lasting images of Maggie are a graceful dancer and a gracious hostess. She

loved dancing especially the fox trot, rumba, waltz, jitterbug--the old dances

which she felt required precision and grace. She also loved to entertain family

and friends, and this was expressed primarily through her dinners, simple and

sumptuous. Cooking was almost a passion, and her favorite Asian-Hawaiian dishes

were best realized at her annual Chinese New Year buffet supper. Many called

her "the perfect hostess" or "the best cook." Whatever, she was dearly loved by

many, and that includes her surviving family: her husband of 58 years, Dr.

David M. Ohara, Emeritus Professsor of English and Film at AU; daughter Stacey

Kiyo Ohara of Los Angeles, CA; son Darren and his wife Deb; grandson Justin; and

great granddaughters Mackenzie and Jaden.



According to Maggie's wishes, there will be neither a viewing nor a memorial

service. Instead of flowers, please donate to the Alfred Ambulance Company or

the charity of your choice.



To send a remembrance please visit www.brownandpowersfuneralhomes.com . The family is being assisted by Adam E. DuBois.



Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Robertson Funeral Home of Hornell.