LUGOFF, S.C. — Memorial services for Margot Mary Rochester, 72, willbe on Friday, Oct. 31, at 11 a.m. at Grace Episcopal Church. The Rev.Philip Whitehead will officiate. The family will receive friendsThursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Powers Funeral Home, Lugoff. In lieu offlowers, memorials can be made to Riverbank Zoo Botanical Garden orPalmetto Health Hospice.
Mrs. Rochester died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008. Born in Los Angeles,Calif., she was the daughter of the late Thomas McAuliffe and MargotPeyser McAuliffe. A graduate of Hollywood High School in Los Angeles,she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University ofMichigan. Margot earned her master’s degree from the University ofSouth Carolina and later earned her Ph.D. in reading from theUniversity of South Carolina as well. She retired from Lugoff-ElginHigh School after 28 years of teaching English and chairing the EnglishDepartment.
Mrs. Rochester authored the “Earthly Delights” and “Down to Earth”gardening books. She was a freelance writer with regular columns in TheState newspaper and Chronicle-Independent. Margot was a Master Gardenerand enjoyed speaking about gardening around the country.
Margo and her husband, Dick, also owned a home on Ocracoke for manyyears. She was active in the Ocracoke community and wrote agardening column and other feature stories for The Island Breeze formore than a dozen years.
She was a member of Grace Episcopal Church.
Surviving are her husband of 52 years, Richard James Rochester;children, Thomas “Tom” R. (Cindy) Rochester of Cornelius, N.C., and Dan(Bonnie) Rochester of Wilmington, N.C.; grandchildren, Haley Rochester,Drew Rochester, Gray Rochester, Morgan Rochester and Margot Rochester.
