Mary Margaret Lainson

MARY MARGARET LAINSON

Iowa City

Mary Margaret Lainson, 79, passed away on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, at her home in Iowa City after a lengthy illness, six days shy of her 80th birthday.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City. Father Chuck Adam will officiate. Following the funeral Mass, there will be a celebration of Margaret's life during a reception at Hancher Auditorium. Private burial will be the following day at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City. There will also be a Celebration of Life in the summer at Lake Okoboji, where she loved to spend time with her closest friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Margaret's name may be given to the following organizations that were important during her life: Iowa City Hospice, Hancher Auditorium Enrichment Fund, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation or a charity of your choice.

Margaret was born on Jan. 20, 1939, in Lake City, Iowa, to Earl and Jean (Maurer) Tangney. Margaret grew up in Spencer and spent many summers at Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa. In 1955, Margaret graduated high school from St. Scholastica Catholic Academy in Canon City, Colo. She later attended the University of Iowa, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Margaret graduated magna cum laude in 1959 with a degree in history and a minor in art history.

In college, Margaret Tangney met the love of her life, Phillip Lainson. They married on June 18, 1960, in Spencer, Iowa. The couple spent two years in Cedar Rapids before living on both East and West coasts while Phil was in the U.S. Air Force. In 1965, they returned to Iowa City, where they have resided the past 53-plus years.

In 1971, Margaret received her master's in education from the University of Iowa, which was followed by her graduation from the University of Iowa Law School in 1976. After graduation, Margaret worked as an attorney for Meardon, Sueppel, Downer and Hayes law firm. She became a partner in 1982, staying with the firm until she retired in 2005.

Margaret loved being close to water, either boating or sailing at Lake Okoboji, Lake MacBride or in earlier days, waterskiing on the Coralville Reservoir. In addition, Margaret was an avid reader, enjoyed attending Hawkeyes football and basketball games, traveling both throughout the U.S. and Europe, as she and Phil had an amazing ability to maximize how much they could see in a trip (lovingly called "vacation mode"), bicycling, playing bridge with friends, and doing the New York Times crosswords puzzles while looking out over the lake. She loved to laugh and tell stories and enjoyed an amazing life!

Margaret is survived by her husband of over 58 years, Phillip; three children, David (Patricia) of Burbank, Calif., Michael (Darcey) of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Elizabeth (Kara) of Iowa City; and four grandchildren, Jacob, Laura, Peter and Nicolas.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Michael.

The family would like to thank Iowa City Hospice for their care during the last few months of Margaret's life.

Online condolences and memories of Margaret may be left for the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.