Obituary of Margaret M. Alia

October 22, 1942 – March 3, 2023 Beloved sister, aunt, and friend Margaret Mary Alia passed away March 3, 2023. She was born October 22, 1942 to Felix and Mildred Alia. Raised in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, she was the middle child of two siblings who survive her, Phyllis Greeley and Patrick Alia and her beloved sister in law Nancy. “Marge,” as she was known to most, served as a special education resource teacher for 34 years. Following her graduation from Shepherd College in 1964, the Department of Defense selected her to participate in an overseas program teaching children of service members on the Nuremberg military base in Germany for two years, before returning to pursue graduate studies at the University of Maryland. Upon earning her master’s in education, Marge taught at Lewisdale Elementary School in Maryland until her retirement in 1998. For more than 50 years, Marge lived in Arlington, Virginia, where her proximity to Washington, D.C., provided her with ample opportunity to pursue her love of travel and culture. “Marge loved to travel,” said her sister, Phyllis. “She made travel an extension of her formal education, and her zest for adventure led her to visit all 50 states, 57 countries, and six out of the seven continents.” In addition to travel, Marge enjoyed many other pursuits. She was an avid skier, golfer, and tennis player as well as a savvy investor, landlord, and real estate agent. She experienced scuba-diving and deep sea fishing. She enjoyed volunteer work and donated her time and talent to organizations that fostered her love of the arts, including Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing arts in Vienna, Virginia, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Arlington Learning in Retirement Institute, where she initiated a book club. Marge also loved gardening and delighted in offering her time in the arboretum and botanical gardens in Washington, D.C. Predeceased by her husband George Quigley in 1992 and her beloved niece Kristen Garvey (husband Jim) in 2011, Marge was a devoted aunt to her nephews and niece Philip (wife Janine) and Daniel (wife Angela) Alia, and Paul (wife Suzanne), Philip, Stephen, and Carolyn (husband Lubos) Greeley. She is also survived by her grandnieces and grandnephews Connor, Alec (wife Hannah) and Olivia Greeley, Amanda Garvey, Nicholas and Austin Alia, and Ben and Ethan Alia. She pursued numerous charitable endeavors throughout her life, which inspired her family to create a scholarship in her name through the Shepherd University Foundation, supporting students pursuing graduate study in education. In creating the fund, Patrick spoke of his sister’s commitment to give back: “Her life is a model for young people. It is our hope that this endowed fund will help Shepherd students offset the cost associated with the pursuit of graduate studies in the field of special education.” Funeral from Matthew Funeral Home Inc., 2508 Victory Boulevard on Monday, 3/13/2023. The funeral service will be held in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 10 Austin Place, at 10:30 AM. Interment in Arlington National Cemetery will follow at a date to be determined. Family and friends may visit on Sunday, 3/12/2023, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Margaret M. Alia and Family Continuing Education Endowment. For further information, please go to Making a Gift | The Shepherd University Foundation.