- Date Of Birth: September 4, 1944
- Date Of Death: November 3, 2022
- State: West Virginia
Margaret Ann Heflin Bailey, 78, of Morgantown, formerly of Clarksburg passed away on Tuesday, November 3, 2022 at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. She was born September 4, 1944 in Clarksburg, West Virginia to the late William Claire and Ethel B. Coughanor Heflin.
Margaret was a 1962 graduate of Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg WV. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at Alderson Broaddus College in 1967. She worked at the Cincinnati VA Hospital before coming back to Clarksburg in 1973 to work at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center. In 1999 she was elected to City Council for the city of Clarksburg. She served on City Council for 16 years, serving as vice-mayor (2003-05) as well as being selected by her peers on council to serve as only the 2nd female mayor from 2009-11. During her time as mayor, she instituted a program in which she met with the community called “Muffins with the Mayor”. In 2011 she was selected by the West Virginia Municipal League as the mayor of the year for the state of West Virginia. While on city council she was a graduate with highest merit from the WVU Local Government Leadership Academy. But she will be remembered for her catchphrase, “It’s always a great day to be in Clarksburg West Virginia”.
She was very active within the Harrison County Senior Citizen Center. She had great love of ceramics and had won awards for ceramic pieces. Eventually she went on to become president of the Harrison County Senior Citizens center for several years.
Margaret was also a member of the Board of Directors of Highland Hospital in Clarksburg WV (2010-19) in which she played a role in helping to establish the hospital in the city.
Margaret was a self-taught painter and has painted several pieces with some of them winning awards. She also took classes and became a master gardener.
Margaret is survived her son William C. and his wife Kristina of Morgantown WV and another son David W. and his wife Grace and two grand-children Juliana and Gavin of Michigan. She is survived by a brother Frederick R. Heflin and his wife Eleanor of Ohio as well as their sons Rick Heflin and his wife Marilyn of Ohio, Douglas Heflin of Ohio and David Heflin and his wife Jennie of Ohio. She is survived by nieces Kimberley Smiley of Ohio, Terri Gosling of Florida and a nephew Phillip Heflin of Ohio. In addition, she is survived by many great nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother John Richard Heflin of Ohio.
A nursing scholarship is to be established in her name at West Virginia University.
