Margaret G. Spruill passed away on April 03, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A devoted family member, Margaret lived a life centered around God, love, sacrifice and of bringing people joy. She was born February 21, 1932, in Pittsburg, Pa. to Mary Fusko and John Gibson. Ester May and William Merchant Sr. then raised her as their own along with William (Bill) and Jack Merchant.

Margaret graduated from Tarentum High School on May 31, 1950. She then enlisted in the Army, the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) at Fort Lee, Virginia on July 21, 1950. She went on to medical school at Fort Sam Houston in Texas as a surgical technician. After which she was assigned to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. It was there that she met a patient, Walter Johnson Spruill Jr., whom she married on September 06, 1951. She was honorably discharged on March 24, 1952.

Margaret and Walter had three children, Walter Johnson III (John), Daniel Albert (Danny) and Nancy Ann. Her whole life revolved around her family, always putting her family’s needs first. Margaret had a passion for cooking and baking, spending many hours looking through cookbooks for new recipes to try. She also enjoyed gardening and sharing her love of plants and flowers with each one of her children. She loved hosting various gatherings through the years with extended family and friends where all were able to enjoy socializing, eating, and sharing stories.

Margaret worked various jobs throughout her lifetime and used the money she made to supplement the family’s needs. She worked at Sears, Kings and Montgomery Wards as well as the Norfolk Naval Base police station, and later on the base inventorying the aircraft engines where she eventually retired. Not one for just sitting around, her final job was working for Lifetouch pictures where she made steadfast friends and treated them as family.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Fusko and John Gibson; stepmother Bertha Gibson; guardians, Ester May and William Merchant; her former husband, Walter J. Spruill Jr.; and her brother, Jerry Gibson, and stepbrother Ronald. Their memory lives on through John and his wife Diana, Danny and his wife Nora, Nancy and her husband Mark; grandchildren Sarah, Mike and his wife Samantha; great-granddaughter Callie; and those she was raised with like her brothers, Bill and Jack Merchant.

A memorial service will be held on May 16, 2025, at 10:00a.m. at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Parkinson’s Foundation. Online condolences may be shared at www.vacremationsociety.com.