Margaret Ann Leto (Greene)

July 23, 2013 12:00 am(1) SignaturesMISSOULAâ�,��**– Margaret Ann (Greene) Leto of Missoula died peacefully during the early morning hours of Sunday, July 21, 2013, at her son's home in Missoula.

She was born May 26, 1919, the youngest child of Thomas F. Greene and Mary (McGaughey) Greene, in Brookline, Mass. She moved to Boston in the fall of 1931. She graduated from St. Aiden High School in Brookline, valedictorian of the class of 1937. Although offered a scholarship to Regis College, she went to business school instead.

She met Joseph Leto while working as a secretary at Watertown Arsenal in the summer of 1940. They were married in St. Joseph's Church in Boston's West End on May 24, 1941. The war years saw them living in many places, but ultimately they settled in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood in 1943. In 1949 they moved to Lexington, Mass., where they made their home for 30 years. In 1979 they moved again to their final home (together) in Plymouth, Mass.

Her husband, Joe, died in 2005. She continued to live in Plymouth for a year and a half after his death. She then ventured to Missoula for a "three-week visit." Three weeks stretched to seven months. After a brief visit back to Massachusetts, she returned to Missoula for good in the fall of 2008.

She was always enamored of the "friendly people" in Missoula. To that end, the family is especially thankful to Louise Jones, who made her feel welcome and introduced her to many people. Husband George Jamieson (not Jones!) provided a million laughs. Other special friends included Adelaide and Elizabeth McMurrer, Carol Eyre, Karen Ludwig, Gwen Jones, Linn Veen and many others. Margaret was often known to say of her Missoula experience: "I'm the luckiest old lady in the world."

An avid reader all her life, she was still reading three books a week until eight months ago. Possessed of a kindly nature, she nonetheless had a sharp mind and a quick wit. There wasn't much she hadn't read. As children, if we asked what a word meant, she would tell us to look it up in the dictionary.

She was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Mary, brothers Tom and Bill, and husband Joe. Survivors include her daughter Joanne (husband Gene) Cavatorta of Carver, Mass.; son Charles (wife Dale Coggins) of Hampton Falls, N.H.; son Steve of Missoula; two grandchildren, Michael Cavatorta (spouse Megan) and Andrew Cavatorta; and new great-grandbaby, Zia Cavatorta.

Visitation will be at St. Anthony's Church for one hour prior to the funeral Mass, which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 24. The family asks that you do not send flowers, but instead make a donation to the charity of your choice. The family also wishes to thank all the various caregivers who helped to take care of Margaret during the last year.

Inumment is to be private. Garden City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements

Read Margaret Leto's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.