Margaret House Hastings

Margaret House Hastings passed away peacefully on March 4, 2025 at her daughter’s home in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 88. She was born March 31, 1936 in Denton, Texas, the daughter of Louis Albert (Bill) House, Jr. and Mylrain Groves House. Her burial at Roselawn Cemetery will be held on May 10, 2025, and a service to commemorate her life will be held after at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton, TX.

Margaret grew up in Denton, attended Denton public schools and graduated from Denton High School in 1953. In June of 1956, she received a BS degree in Education from North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas (UNT). On July 28, 1956, she married her high school sweetheart, Dick Hastings, who preceded her in death on January 23, 1989. She later married Edwin (Ed) Owens on September 18, 2015.

In college, Margaret became a member of Chi Omega Fraternity. Throughout her life she treasured her Chi Omega friendships. As an alumnus she served as an advisor to the young ladies of Alpha Alpha chapter at UNT from 1982 to 1995. She also served on the Alpha Alpha House Corporation from 1997 to 2012 and served as its President for several years. She was a lifelong member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, where she was baptized and later married in 1953 and 2015. At St. Andrew she volunteered at the Treehouse (after school program), served on the Treehouse Board and also volunteered at Our Daily Bread. She was a member of RIPS, the retiree organization at UNT and also served on its Board.

Margaret taught 1st grade at Carrollton Elementary and Vallwood Elementary Schools, Kindergarten at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Day School and 2nd grade at Richardson Heights Elementary School during the years 1956 – 1969. She worked for the Florida Legislature, Division of Statutory Revision, from 1973 – 1979 when Margaret and Dick and their children relocated to Tallahassee for Dick’s work. When she and Dick returned to Denton in 1979, she worked at the University of North Texas for 18 years as an Administrative Assistant --first to the Director of Facilities Planning, then to the Vice President for Administrative Affairs and finally to the President/Chancellor, retiring on on December 31, 1997.

After 26 years as a widow following Dick’s death in 1989, Margaret was blessed with nine wonderful years of marriage with Ed Owens as they enjoyed sharing their lives together and supporting one another through the ups and downs of health challenges and aging in their last years of life.

Margaret is survived by her son, Michael Louis Hastings and his wife Tricia, his stepson, Jameson Jackson, his wife, Cassandra and her son, Xander; her daughter, Martha Hastings Hunt, her husband, Marshall, and their children - her beloved grandchildren – Blair and his wife, Holland, great granddaughters, Mary Knox and Britt; grandsons, Calvin; Hastings and his wife Caroline; Paul Henry, his wife, Ali, and a great grandson, Henry, as well as great granddaughters Josie and Collins; and her only granddaughter, Mary Caroline Hunt Davis, her husband, Neal, and great granddaughters, Margaret (Mimi) and Ann Carlisle. She is also survived by her brother, William G. (Bill) House and his wife, Terry, and her sister, Helen House Whitaker and Helen’s daughter-in-law, Melissa Whitaker, Helen’s grandsons, Josh and Parker, and Helen’s son Mark Whitaker and his daughters Emily and Whitney.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, L.A. and Mylrain House; husbands, Dick Hastings and Edwin Owens; and nephew, Brad Whitaker.

Margaret will be internered at Roselawn Cemetery on May 10, 2025, and a service to commemorate her life will be held after at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton, TX. Memorial remembrances may be made to the church at 300 W. Oak Street, Denton, TX 76201.