Margaret Hill Brannenliving in Etna, NH passed away at home on April 15, 2019 after a hard fought battle with an aggressive form of bone marrow disease. Her mind remained sharp while her body failed, but her passing was comfortable and peaceful at the end.

Margaret was born at home on April 27, 1937 in Nottingham, England. After graduating from Saint Catherine's Convent School, she left home with a goal to travel the world at age 19. Her first stop was New York City where she discovered that her typing and shorthand skills were in great demand. Margaret landed a job with IBM in the city and attended Hunter College working days and going to school at night. After a period, she requested and was granted a transfer to San Francisco where she accepted an opportunity as Executive Assistant to the West Coast Typewriter Sales Manager for IBM.

After moving to San Francisco, she moved into a guesthouse, formally the Spanish Consulate, restricted to young business and professional men and women. Her interests in outdoor activities, including tennis and a developing enthusiasm for skiing aided in her meeting a young man with equal interests. He had a car, so their relationship started as convenience and gradually developed as one of romance. Within a year, they were eventually married in a local Catholic Church not far from the guesthouse.

Both Margaret and her new husband Richard Brannen loved the outdoors and spent their summer vacations camping in the California State Parks around Lake Tahoe.

Margaret's formal education, temporarily on hold, restarted with her attending the University of San Francisco nights and weekends all while working full time for IBM, and at the same time her husband was attending optometry school at California Berkeley. Margaret graduated the University of San Francisco at the top of her class. Eventually, Margaret and Richard returned to the East Coast, where Richard grew up and wanted to pursue his career in Optometry.

While raising 3 sons, she worked as a real estate lister and eventually for the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth where she retired in 2007. Margaret also participated as a member and officer with the Hanover Garden Club Board, the International Women's Club, and volunteer groups at Saint Denis Church in Hanover, NH.

She was an avid reader, even while standing in line at airports, which she frequented traveling all over the world, and is something she did often. Some of the places she liked most were educational adventures that included "luxury camping" within the parks in Africa, an ultra-light ride across Victoria Falls, the scenery and people of New Zealand, river rafting in Peru, and the challenge of hiking Machu Picchu, often besting fellow hikers years younger. With the exception of Antarctica, Margaret achieved her goal of traveling the world and tackling 6 of the 7 continents. When not traveling, she enjoyed summers sailing around Lake Champlain on the family sailboat along with close friends all while continuing to read as her husband captained the boat.

Margaret was always a positive influence on the people in her life. Her attitude was to "always look on the bright side," even when everything seemed to make it impossible. These are the things that will be remembered the most.

Margaret is survived by; her husband Richard, her sisters in England Shirley and Hazel, her sons Hugh, Tyler, and Courtland, her grandchildren William, Ashley, and Emily as well as her great grandchildren Elizabeth and Riley Anne.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Denis Catholic Church in Hanover, NH on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 11:00 A.M.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.