Mrs. Margaret Tyson

GREENVILLE – Mrs. Margaret Edna Tyson, 94, of 1510 Myrtle Street, Greenville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, July 3, 2022. She was born on April 28, 1928, as the fifth of 13 children to Lela (Hopkins) Williams and Murray Williams in Greenville, North Carolina. Entering the world with Cerebral Palsy, a debilitating birth disorder, doctors anticipated Margaret would live only two months. However, with the love of her family, Margaret worked through the crippling effects of her disability. She took her first steps at 7 years and then lived to be 94 years old. In 1949, she graduated from H. B. Suggs High School in Farmville, North Carolina and continued her education at Shaw University from 1949-1950, where she majored in missionary studies. On June 27, 1953, she married James Abram Tyson in Farmville, North Carolina. The couple migrated to Brooklyn, New York and welcomed the birth of their healthy baby boy, Adrian Murray Tyson, in 1958. They also welcomed their daughter, Sharon (Atkinson) Lewis, in 1967 when she was four years old. Thereafter, the couple moved to Torrington, Connecticut to raise their family. As long-time residents of Torrington, Margaret and her husband were active members of the Jehovah’s Witness Congregation. Margaret retired from the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Retardation, after 20 years of dedicated service in 1993. She was 65 years old. Throughout her career as an Adult Counselor & Supervisor, she cared for teenagers and adults with special needs. She loved her work and built strong connections with those in her care through kindness and empathy. An article printed in the Torrington Register newspaper was written about Margaret in 1970 and expressed her sentiments. The article earned its title directly from Margaret’s quote: “Torrington has been good to me,” handicapped woman says. In 1978, Margaret traveled to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland to participate in a study dedicated to the advancement of Cerebral Palsy research. There, she spent weeks with researchers who extensively studied her mental and physical condition. This significant study was one of several that led to advancements in understanding the prevention and treatment of Cerebral Palsy in the United States. In 2000, five years after her husband’s death, Margaret relocated to Greenville, North Carolina to enjoy retirement with her dear sister, Betty Lou Tyson. She became a beloved member of her community and the Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Winterville, North Carolina. On May 11, 2019, at the age of 92, Margaret was bestowed with an Honorary Degree in Social Work from her alma mater, Shaw University. She was recognized as the oldest recipient of this degree in Shaw’s history as acknowledged in an article printed in The Carolinian newspaper (May 16, 2019), 92 “gets rare Honorary Degree from University”. This accomplishment completed the goal she set for herself decades earlier. At her commencement ceremony, Margaret graced the stage to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree and was honored later that day at a beautiful reception hosted by University’s President and Board of Trustees. In attendance were university staff and family and friends. On that day, after receiving the award, Margaret whispered to her daughter, “My mother would be so proud.” Margaret Edna Tyson was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, James Tyson, and her son, Adrian Tyson. Remarkably out of the 13 children of Lela and Murray Williams, Margaret, the child not expected to live, was the last surviving sibling. She was preceded in death by her sisters Alma Williams, Barbara Williams, Betty Lou Tyson, Ethel Lee Williams, Mildred Vines, and half-sister Christine Coward, as well as, her brothers Andrew Williams, Billy Williams, Cecil Williams, Clifton Williams, James Williams, Nelson Williams, Vance Williams, and elder cousin, Mamie Ruth Gardner. She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Lewis and son-in-law, Todd Lewis, her grandson, James Coneita, and her niece, Diane Ortiz, great nephew DeWayne Ortiz, and great, great nephew, DeAndre Ortiz, along with a host of beloved family & friends, and countless spiritual brothers and sisters of the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Courtesy Virtual Access - Zoom, Meeting ID: 810 4779 4056 Passcode: 208738

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Mrs. Margaret Tyson

April 28, 1928 - July 3, 2022