Margaret B. Guthrie Dearth, 95, of Winchester, Virginia passed away Thursday, June 28, 2018, at The Willows of Meadow Branch.

Mrs. Dearth was born in 1923 in Front Royal, Virginia, the daughter of the late Bryan and Ruby Brown. She was a graduate of John Handley High School, Class of 1942 and a 1984 graduate of Shenandoah College of Nursing, where at the time she was the oldest Shenandoah graduate. Mrs. Dearth was employed as a registered nurse at Hillcrest Nursing Home and Director of Nurses at Westminster Canterbury, from where she retired. She maintained a love of Handley High School by always attending the class of ’42 reunions. Mrs. Dearth was an avid square dancer and passionate about her yellow Volkswagen. She loved cats and even passed her love of Siamese cats to her daughters and granddaughters. Mrs. Dearth was a loving soul, showing compassion for her surrounding community wherever she resided. She would take the time to “unofficially” assist the nurses at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in order to help her fellow residents. Mrs. Dearth has been a long standing member of Opequon Presbyterian Church in Kernstown, Virginia.

Her husband, Stuart C. Dearth, whom she married on June 6, 1997 in Las Vegas, Nevada, preceded her in death in 2014. Her first husband, William Hamilton Guthrie, whom she married in 1944, preceded her in death in 1985.

Surviving are daughters, Barbara Agregaard (Hank) of Frederick County, Virginia and Mollie Guthrie Ragens (Steven) of Clear Brook, Virginia; daughter-in-law, Ann Guthrie of Charlevoix, Michigan; grandchildren, Nathaniel, Sally, Nakoma, Natalie, Amy, Daniel, Megan, Nikki, Katie, and Jenna; twenty-three great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Lynn Bowles of Berryville, Virginia and Janie Schultz of Stephens City, Virginia; and brother, Charlie Brown of New York.

Mrs. Dearth was preceded in death by a daughter, Sally Guthrie; a son, Stephen C. Guthrie in November 2017; brother, Stewart “Boy” Brown; grandson, Travis Guthrie and great-grandson, Thompson Sage Smith.

A gathering of family and friends will be from 10 am to 11 am on Thursday at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel and a memorial service at 11 am with Pastor David Witt officiating. Interment will be in Mount Hebron Cemetery, Winchester, Virginia.

Memorial contributions in Margaret’s memory may be made to Opequon Presbyterian Church Education Fund, 217 Opequon Church Lane, Winchester, Virginia 22602 or Esther Boyd Animal Shelter, 161 Fort Collier Road, Winchester, Virginia 22603.