NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Margaret Jane (Geddes) Gagliardi, 99, longtime resident of North Adams, died peacefully on Sunday,  April 15, 2018, at Cape Cod Hospital after a brief illness.

Born in North Adams on November 30, 1918, she was the daughter of William J. and Gladys (Francis) Geddes. Margaret graduated from Drury High School and subsequently obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree from Framingham State College.  After graduation Margaret began her teaching career in Maine. With the outbreak of World War II, Margaret resigned her teaching position and enlisted in the Navy where she served as a Naval Officer, primarily in Boston and New York. 

She married Louis S. Gagliardi on March 16, 1946, and they returned to North Adams where they raised their family and started a business. Margaret taught Home Economics at Drury High School and later at Adams Memorial Junior High School. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and was a skilled seamstress. 

Margaret was a lifelong member of the First Congregational Church of North Adams.

Margaret's husband Louis died on February 20, 2004.

She is survived by her two daughters, Margaret G. McKane and her husband Paul of West Barnstable, Mass., and Elizabeth G. Carmichael and her husband Peter of Kennesaw, Ga.; her three grandchildren, Elizabeth McKane, Caron McKane St. Onge and David Carmichael; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her sister, Marion G. Collins.

Funeral notice: Funeral services will take place Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapel, 521 West Main Street, North Adams, Mass. Calling hours are Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m.

Burial will take place at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. Memorial donations are suggested for the North Adams Public Library or the First Congregational Church of North Adams through the funeral home.