Margaret Lucille (Burch) Shick of St. Clements Shores and formerly of Washington DC and Falls Church, VA passed away on March 4, 2011 at her residence.

She was the only child of the late William Early Burch of Washington, DC and Florence Wandel Burch of Philadelphia, PA. Mrs. Shick was born at the old Sibley Hospital in DC on February 3, 1922. Her paternal grandparents were Jubal A. Burch of Charlotte Hall, MD and Helen Elizabeth Tennyson of Clements, MD.

She graduated from McKinley (Tech) High School and Strayer Business College in 1942. After graduation from Strayer, she was employed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice. She was soon transferred to the Criminal Department of the Justice Department as a secretary to two special assistants to the Attorney General and several agents of the FBI. Mrs. Shick was in charge of an office force for the above. She recalled working for months, preparing for a case involving 20 defendants. After all the work getting ready for this case, the judge passed away in his sleep. The case never went to trial. When the United States entered World War II, the INS was moved to Philadelphia. She stayed with the service and lived with relatives there. She met her future husband there.

When the war was over, the INS returned to Washington, DC. On January 1, 1944, she and John Shick returned to Washington, DC and were married on January 2, at Brookland Methodist Church. He preceded her in death on March 28, 1998. Mrs. Shick resigned from the INS when their first child was born in 1947. They moved to Falls Church, VA in 1957 and had a very happy 20 years there. The Shicks were hands-on parents and attended high school games almost daily. She remembered attending a soccer game with one child in one county and traveling to a basket ball game in a different county with another. When their children were educated, Margaret and John moved to St. Mary's Co., MD. They chose this area because they were familiar with the location. Her ancestors helped settle the territory, having a tobacco farm in Charlotte Hall, where the McKay's store is located today. She was an active member of St. Paul's UMC in Leonardtown and helped in the Fishes and Loaves, the soup kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Shick loved to travel and toured both the U.S and abroad. Her favorite place was always the Outer Banks in NC. She excelled in sewing and crafts. Mrs. Shick loved making clothes and toys for her grandchildren. She was also a true Orioles and Redskins fan!

She will be lovingly missed by her five children and their families; Malcolm and Jean Shick of Orono, ME, Raymond Shick of Key West, Fl, Mary-Margaret and Steven Smith of St. Clement Shores, MD, formerly of Stafford, VA, Joanne Shick Cooksey of St. Clements Shores, formerly of Falls Church, VA and Alan and Becky Shick of California, MD. Mrs. Shick also had nine granddaughters; Kim (Andy), Geanine, Kendra (Will), Laura, Kylie (Kelly), Mary, Erica (Bobby), Meg, Claudia, two grandsons; Trevor and Taylor as well as seven great grandchildren; Margaret, Elizabeth, William, Alexis, Victor, Nicholas, Cobi. and one great-great grandson Brandon.

The family will receive friends on Monday, March 7, 2011 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM in St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Leonardtown, MD where a funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM with Rev. Keith Schukraft officiating. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD 20650 and /or St. Paul's UMC Soup Loaves, P.O. Box 95, Leonardtown, MD. 20650.

Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home.