Margaret Erskine Quinn

AMENIA — Margaret Erskine Quinn, 80, a lifelong resident of Amenia, died Nov. 30, 2011, at her home in Leedsville. The cause of her death was a stroke. She was the daughter of the late Margaret and Henry Duffy. Margaret attended the Leedsville one-room schoolhouse and Amenia High School. She earned her nursing degree at St. Vincent’s in New York City.Margaret was a registered nurse and retired from Sharon Hospital as supervisor of the operating room in 1993. Before that she spent a number of years in private duty. She was predeceased by her first husband, George Erskine, New York State Police first sergeant of Troop K. They had five children, one of whom, Ann, died in childhood. In 1992, Margaret married E. John Quinn.Over the years, Margaret was a friend and neighbor of various notables of Leedsville starting with Amy Spingarn, matriarch of Troutbeck. Among others were Lewis Mumford, poet and lawyer,Thurgood Marshall, Melville Cain and Santha Rama Rau Wattles.Her nursing career brought her into close association with legendary doctors and surgeons of Sharon including Dr. Robert Fisher, Dr. Peter Reyelt and other early founders of the famous Sharon Clinic. An active parishioner of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Amenia, Margaret was also a trustee of the Lola J. Sherman Foundation and a volunteer with hospice.One of the holiday traditions long observed by Margaret was her annual distribution of pound cakes, brownies and cheesecake pies to doctors and nurses of Sharon Hospital, neighbors and friends. Also, scores of local families each year hang Christmas stockings knitted by Margaret for newborn babies.In addition to her husband who survives at home, Margaret is survived by four children, Aimee Erskine of Pittsfield, Mass., Andrew Erskine of Holmdel, N.J., Marie Evans of Somers, N.Y., and Betsy Guerro of Hopewell Junction; a brother, Joseph Duffy of Pawling; two sisters, Mary Morris Row of New Haven, and Margaret’s twin sister, Alice Page of New Preston; and six grandchildren, Madison and Hailey Evans, Isabelle and Olivia Erskine and George and Mia Guerro. In addition to her parents, her first husband and her daughter, she was predeceased by two brothers, Francis and John Duffy.A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Dec. 3 at Immaculate Conception Church in Amenia. Burial followed at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Amenia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Breadline, 135 West 31 St., New York, NY 10001 or go to www.stfrancisbreadline.org in memory of Margaret Erskine Quinn. The Hufcut Funeral Home in Dover Plains has charge of arrangements. To send the family an online condolence, go to www.hufcutfuneralhome.com.