Margaret Elliott Shaw Duncan died peacefully in her sleep on March 24, at age 76, in Jonesborough, TN with her family by her side. She is survived by her wonderful, supportive, and loving husband of 50 years, Neill, her sons Bill (wife Carmen) and Shaw (wife Caroline), three cherished grandchildren (Felix, Ruby and Graham), as well as her two sisters, Anne Winborne Montgomery (husband John) and Mary Shaw Hambright, their children (Catherine Anne Moeller, John Montgomery, Margaret Huneycutt, and Jane Brothers), their families, and a host of dear in-laws. She is also survived by her beloved last dog, Rosie. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Graham Shaw Jr. and Annie Parker Winborne Shaw.
Margaret Elliott was born in Wagram, NC, on May 1, 1944. She remembered an idyllic childhood on her family farm, ensconced by family and community, riding horses and playing sports. She played baseball against the boys at school and punished opponents on the hardwood across North and South Carolina, where she was MVP for the East West All-star game in high school. She graduated from Wagram High and the UNC Chapel Hill pharmacy school. She played basketball at UNC, though it was not funded as a varsity sport at the time. She worked as a pharmacist at local drug stores and the Health Department in Laurinburg, NC, only pausing for several years to devote time to raising her boys.
She volunteered countless hours with the Humane Society and Animal Shelter in Scotland County and was faithfully active in St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Maxton. She loved all animals (except snakes), and especially dogs and horses, which she rode from age 3 to 53, stopping only when her health faltered. Some of her happiest days were spent coaching little league teams for her sons and many other children.
Margaret Elliott was unfailingly supportive of friends, family, and animals, especially if they were the underdog. She had an irreverent sense of humor and was known locally for “decorating” her friends’ yards on their birthdays under the cover of darkness, often strategically deploying life-sized cardboard cutouts of notables like Richard Petty and Dusty Rhodes.
All of her passions and goals were fully supported by her husband, Neill, who could not have been more steadfast throughout their marriage. Neill and their family will remember her for her joy, laugh, spirit, drive, and above all, her constant love.
Services will be arranged later this summer. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the Scotland County Humane Society at https://www.scotlandhumane.org.