Margaret Eleanor Whitfield

Margaret Eleanor Whitfield, 82, of Boulder, Colorado, passed away peacefully on November 3, 2024, surrounded by her family. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the spring of 1942, Margaret was the eldest of four siblings. She moved west in 1965 to attend the University of Colorado, where she earned her degree in education and met the love of her life, Robert. They married in 1968 and settled in Boulder, where they raised their three children and built a life rooted in family, community, and learning. Margaret taught fifth grade at Whittier Elementary for 34 years. Generations of Boulder children remember her as the teacher who made history come alive — who turned the classroom into a one-room schoolhouse for a week, who read aloud from "Little House on the Prairie" with such warmth that students would beg for one more chapter, and who never forgot a single name. She was a tireless gardener, an enthusiastic baker (her cinnamon rolls were the stuff of family legend), and a quiet but unwavering presence at every recital, ballgame, and graduation. She loved long walks at Chautauqua, Sunday dinners with too many people around the table, and the way the aspens turned gold every September. Margaret is survived by her three children, eight grandchildren, and a community of former students whose lives she shaped in ways she rarely realized. She will be missed beyond words.