Margaret W. Sistrunk

Margaret W. Sistrunk 81, of Odessa, FL passed away on January 8, 2018. She was born in Lebanon, TN to the late Ted and Sara Wright.She is survived by her husband, Dr. Frank Sistrunk; daughter, Laura Lee Norman; grandchildren, Heather Norman, Shane Long, and Hope Long; one brother, Larry Wright of Charlotte, NC, and many cousins. 
She graduated from Caverna High School in Horse Cave, KY in 1953; Columbia College in Columbia, MO in 1955, a member of honor societies; and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN in 1957, cum laude, member of honor societies. At Vanderbilt she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Eta Chi, Sigma Phi Gamma, Phi Theta Kappa and sweetheart of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. 
She was a school teacher in Manassas, VA and Miami, FL; a property manager in Twenty Nine Palms, CA, where she was also a member of the Marine Corps auxiliary pistol team. 
After living in the Washington, D.C. area and in West Texas, she moved to the Tampa area in 1965, quickly becoming involved in local affairs.
In her business career she was a school teacher, property manager, realtor associate and member of the Tampa Board of Realtors, a real estate investor, a manager in a citrus business, and an owner of clothing stores.
As a fiber artist she was an exhibitor and prize winner at many shows, displayed and sold work in arts and crafts shows, a partner in the Fiber Arts Gallery, and a partner in The Weaver's Cove.
In community affairs, she was president, director and recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Award of the Keystone Park Civic Association, member of the Environmental Coalition, Florida Audubon Society, Women's Political Caucus, League of Women Voters, and many water and land use committees.
In Public service, she was a governing board member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, member of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission, Chair of the Hillsborough County Zoning Board of Adjustment, member of Northern Water Use Caution Area Advisory Committee, Environmental Protection Commission Advisory Board, Hillsborough County Zoning Advisory Committee to County Commission, Citizens Advisory Committee to County Commission, Interagency Committee on Growth Management, Wetlands Ordinance Committee, Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board, Northwest Wellfield Ad Hoc Committee, Committee for A-R Zoning Change, Committee for Tree and Landscape Ordinance, Committee on Horizon 2000 Planning, Governor's Leadership Conference on Criminal Justice, and many others.
She was also a lifetime member of the President's Council of The University of South Florida.

There will be a graveside service held Monday, January 22, 2018 at 1:00 pm at Cosby Cemetery under the direction of Winn Funeral Home.