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Martha Marguerite “Marge” (Cooper) Pangburn

The campus community mourns the passing of Martha Pangburn, who died on Thursday, Aug. 12. Martha retired in 1978 from her position in Student Health.

Included below is the complete text of the obituary, as provided by the family.

You are encouraged to visit our In Memoriam page to share personal notes of sympathy and remembrance with others.

On behalf of our entire University community, I extend our deepest sympathies to Martha’s family, as well as to all who knew her at Bucknell.

John C. Bravman
President

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Martha Marguerite “Marge” (Cooper) Pangburn, of Lewisburg, passed away Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. She was born Feb. 21, 1930, in Pittsburgh, a daughter of the late Charles Jacob Cooper III and Martha Olga (Staub) Cooper. On June 14, 1952, she was married to Edward Weaver Pangburn in Verona at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church by the Rev. Paul Behrens. Her husband preceded her in death on March 10, 2005.

Martha was a 1948 graduate of Oakmont High School, Oakmont; and a 1951 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Shadyside Hospital School of Nursing, from which she received her degree in Registered Nursing (RN). She later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education/School Nursing from Bloomsburg University. She completed her studies by earning her Master’s Degree in Guidance Counseling from Bucknell University.

She enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse, retiring from the Student Health Department at Bucknell University. Earlier in her career, she worked as an RN at Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh; Homestead Hospital, Homestead; the Hamilton Township School System, Trenton, N.J.; Princeton Hospital, Princeton, N.J.; Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg; Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village, Lewisburg; The Friendly Nursing Home, Millmont; Burgess Nursing Home, Lewisburg; and additionally, also cared for many patients by taking private duty nursing cases in all locations in which she lived a highlight of a varied career which she especially enjoyed.
Martha attended the First Baptist Church, Lewisburg. Her shining Christian faith was always her strength and her Rock throughout her long life. All her actions, along with countless kindnesses and true concern for others made that faith visible; and surely blessed all who met and knew her.

Activities she enjoyed were swimming, reading, spending time with her family, writing long letters, sending greeting cards and traveling. She and her husband Edward traveled as often as possible and wintered in Mesa, Arizona, for 26 years.

Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, Edward and Donna; three daughters and one son-in-law, Christine and Steve, Susan and Joyce; her sister, Caroline Cooper Carroll; sister-in-law, Barbara Peters Cooper; four grandchildren, Caroline and her husband, Rich, Robert, Rhonda and Julie; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by one brother, Charles Jacob Cooper IV; a niece and five nephews.

Services will be held privately at the convenience of the family with interment in the Lewisburg Cemetery.

If desired, contributions in Martha’s memory may be made to the First Baptist Church, 51 S. Third St. Lewisburg, PA 17837 or to the Pennsylvania SPCA Danville Center Shelter, 1467 Bloom Road Danville, PA 17821.

The family is being assisted by the Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis Streets, Lewisburg.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cronrathgrenoblefuneralhome.com.

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