Obituaries

F.N "Nick" Margrave

Photo of F.N "Nick" Margrave
Fred Nicholas (Nick) Margrave Jr. was born on Aug. 22, 1926, to Fred and Wilhelmina Hart Margrave Sr. Growing up in Little Rock, Nick was a proud graduate of Catholic High School, where he excelled in sports and was named an all-state football player. Blessed with an inquisitive mind and a great appreciation for education, he attended Little Rock Junior College (now UALR); where he met the love of his life, Martha Elizabeth Smith. He graduated from Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!), where he was a forestry major and a member of Theta Xi fraternity. He later received a Master of Institutional Management from Southern Arkansas University. Days after graduating from LSU, he married his love at Asbury Methodist Church in Little Rock. Wherever life took them from that day on, they devoted their family life to their local United Methodist Church. This commitment to the teachings of John Wesley ("Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.") was the credo that he lived long enough to see passed on to his great-grandchildren. Living by these principles, he was honored to serve on the Board of Directors of both the Arkansas United Methodist Foundation and Camp Tanako. For years he attended annual retreats sponsored by United Methodist Men at Camp Tanako and Purdue University. He worked for International Paper Co., Woodlands Division, as a forester and in safety management, for his entire career. For many years after his retirement, he traveled weekly from Camden to Little Rock to volunteer at the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Always wanting to broaden his mind, he found himself successful at adult classes in woodworking, beginning guitar, and painting in different mediums; however, the family must admit that he dropped out of a class in basic computer skills. Remarkable as it seems, Nick was able to keep his joyful spirit and zest for living even as he was preceded in death by his beloved youngest daughter, Susan Elizabeth Margrave Bonner; his admired eldest grandchild, Charles Patrick (Chuck) Weber, Md.; his loving son-by-marriage Patrick (Pat) Lowry Weber, Md., and his amazing brother, W. A. (Buddy) Margrave Sr. Left with cherished memories of travel, family times at the log cabin on Lake Hamilton, and watching every sporting event ever televised is his wife of almost 70 years, Martha Smith Margrave. He leaves the following legacy of love: From Texarkana, his daughter, Mary Katherine Weber; his grandchildren, Katherine Weber (Texarkana) and Mary Elizabeth & Drew Weber, MD (Tyler, Texas), and his great-grandchildren, Evelyn, Jackson, & Martha Patterson and Chuck & Smith Weber. From Nashville, Tenn., Marti Margrave and Fred Artibee, his grandchildren, Jamey & Jen Girten-Campbell (Gallatin, Tenn.); Rebecca & Quentin Watkins (Dallas, TX), Madeline & Staša Artibee-Bakliza (Urbana, IL) and Kate & Nick Artibee-Smallwood (Oakland, Calif.); and great-grandchildren Mason & Miller Campbell and Tenny Smallwood. From Denton, Texas, his grandchildren, Anna & Preston Fuqua and great-grandchildren, Elizabeth & Sadie Fuqua. From Shreveport, La., Tiffany ans Stephen Bell and great-grandchildren, Charlie, Kate, and Samantha. His dear caregiver and "other daughter", Vi Garnett. His sister-by-marriage, Dottie Margrave. And a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and so many friends from four generations that the family can't begin to name names. Family was everything to him. He was called Uncle Nick, Nice Guy Nick, Granddad, Paka Nick, Honey, Nicholas Honey, and Nicky Bluebird, but his favorite way to be introduced was, "This is my daddy..." As it is fitting that Nick died peacefully in his sleep on the evening of Sept. 28, 2017, the family would like to acknowledge the kindness and gentle care by the staff of MRC Cornerstone and Heritage Hospice of Texarkana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you take the time to hug those you love and share an a random act of kindness. In addition, to honor his years of volunteering and his special appreciation for the care given to children with health issues, his family humbly requests contributions to Arkansas Children's Hospital, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, Ark. 72202 or Opportunities, Inc, 6101 N. State Line, Texarkana, Texas 75503. A worshipful graveside service will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m., at Crestview Memorial Park in Hot Springs, Ark., with the guidance of the Rev. David Wilson and under the direction of Gross Funeral Home. The online obituary, guestbook, and memorial tribute are available at www.GrossFuneralHome.com.

Published October 2, 2017

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