Obituary of Margaret L. Yousko

Margaret L. Yousko, age 93, passed away January 19, 2017, in Belfast Maine after a brief illness. Margaret was born on April 8, 1923 to Vito and Modesta Catalano in Independence, Louisiana. She was the fifth of seven children. Mikey, as she liked to be called, was raised on her father’s strawberry farm, attended school in Independence, and then moved to New Orleans. She did some modeling, and singing, and met her future husband, George Yousko, at a USO dance. They married on September 19, 1945. Pictures of her from that time show an incredibly beautiful woman. Mikey had an adventurous life with George. Because of his position with Esso (Exxon), they lived in the Philippine Islands, Thailand, Singapore, and Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Mikey had many many stories about those times, especially when they were in Thailand during the Vietnam War. She met Bob Hope on a USO tour, and accidentally burned Jim Nabors’ favorite scarf! She volunteered in hospitals, and comforted many young men who were wounded in the war. She met the Prime Minister of Singapore. In Fort McMurray, the big entertainment was watching the bears eat at the dump. They lived in Baton Rouge at the start of their marriage, and then moved to Rye, NY. Rye was the home base during their overseas travels. Upon George’s retirement, they moved to Berkeley Heights NJ. They loved to have their grandchildren visit for a week at a time and took them many places, including Great Adventure, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., and New York City. Their home was also the site for Thanksgiving dinners for many years. In October 2012, due to illness, they moved to Maine to live with their daughter Marilyn. Mikey was predeceased by her husband George, her grandson David Stumpff, her parents, and her siblings Pat, Bessie, Tony, May, Lou, and Ann. She is survived by her three children: Marilyn Stumpff and husband Tom Marx, Marsha Pitsikalis and husband Vasili, and George (Jerry) Yousko. She is also survived by her grandchildren Joshua Stumpff, Nathan Stumpff, Jennifer Tibbetts, Matthew Pitsikalis, and Nikki Thompson and by six great-grandchildren: Hayden, Eva, and Bianca Stumpff, Hank and Jed Tibbetts, and Naomi Dykema. She enjoyed an especially loving relationship with Hank and Jed in her final years that brought her great joy. They called her “Amah” and looked forward to her stories, games, and her unique way of making everything right. She will also be greatly missed by her special friends Louise Rucinski and Saigo. In her later years, Mikey was very interested in politics and the news, and stayed well-informed. She also enjoyed frequent trips to the local casino where she “lost just a little bit, but kept her drawers.” Chocolate and ice cream were her favorite treats. Mikey was a special person, with a true gift for making people feel better, and loved, and wanted, and special in themselves. She was the glue holding so many people together. Her strength and inner beauty will be greatly missed. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday January 28, 2017 at 3:30 PM at the Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast, ME 04915.