Margaret Marie Gerken

Margaret Marie Gerken, of Forest Hills, age 80, passed away on Monday, December 11, 2023, after a long and heroic battle with genetic COPD.

Born on January 4, 1943, to Lucy and Maurice Snyder in Pittsburgh, her life was focused on raising her family. Over the years, Margaret worked part-time in various retail roles around Pittsburgh. She was an avid gardener, always enjoying the annual selection of plants from local garden centers. She loved flowers, looked forward to seeing them blossom in the spring, and was a long-time member of Phipps Conservatory.

Margaret loved to travel with her family, including an annual anniversary trip with her husband and “Sister Chick” trips with her sisters.

She was easily delighted by many things and was a great lover of the arts, music, and British period dramas. The simple pleasures in life brought her great joy. A perfect day began with a steaming cup of coffee on her front porch, working in her yard, preparing dinner for the family, and was capped off with a relaxing glass of wine.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Donald Gerken; children, Maura Arnold (Steve) of Pitcairn, Michael Gerken (Terri) of Penn Hills, and Veronica Gerken of Wilkins Township. She was the loving grandmother of Melinda Gerken, Gregory Hannah, Kelci, Jacob and Joshua Gerken, and great-grandmother to Riley Gerken and Rowan Hannah. Additional step-grandchildren include Stephen, Ryan, David, and Vanessa Arnold. She leaves behind her cherished fur-baby, Ms. Kitty, and spoiled grand-dogs Jax, Gracie, Judah, and Theta.

She is also survived by siblings Maurice Snyder (Miriam) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dolly Solosky (Rick) of Westminster, California, and Christina Gleditsch of Charlotte, North Carolina. Margaret will be greatly missed by many beloved nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at Wolfe Memorial, LLC, 3600 Greensburg Pike, Pittsburgh PA 15221, on Sunday, December 17, from 1:00 to 4:00pm. A Blessing Service will be held in the funeral home chapel on

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