**Margaret Dupree, 104, Retired Teacher’s Aide and Funeral Home President, Passes Away**
Margaret Dupree, a retired teacher’s aide and president of Dupree Funeral Home, died Monday, Dec. 15, at the age of 104.
Born on July 8, 1921, in Belvedere, South Carolina, Margaret moved to Philadelphia in 1926. Before starting her own family, she helped raise her brother’s children, a testament to her nurturing spirit.
She began her education in the School District of Philadelphia and graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1941. Later, she obtained her beautician’s license from Apex College and worked alongside her sister-in-law, Lillian McKenney, at their mother’s beauty shop located at 13th Street and Susquehanna Avenue.
Margaret further pursued her interests in funeral services, completing the program at Eckels College of Mortuary Science and earning her funeral director’s license in 1949.
A devoted member of Childs Memorial Baptist Church since 1933, she remained active throughout her life. She participated in the Pulpit Circle, Senior Choir, the Dorcas Missionary Society, Rose of Sharon, and the Love and Dignity programs—initiatives focused on weekly nourishment for both the soul and body. Her musical life flourished with the Festival of Hymn Choir under the leadership of Harrilese Durant Miles.
Margaret took great pride in organizing the Sunday School Christmas and Easter programs, describing them as “a way of giving back for all the love and training I had received from those around me,” according to her family.
During her internship at Minnis Funeral Home in South Philadelphia, Margaret met Troy E. Dupree. They married in 1951 and co-founded the independent Dupree Funeral Home in 1955, located at 2809 W. Diamond St. Together, they raised four children, balancing family life while managing the funeral home and supporting her mother’s businesses.
In addition to her funeral home work, Margaret served her country during World War II at the Signal Corps and Frankford Arsenal. After her children grew up and she experienced “empty nest syndrome,” she joined the School District of Philadelphia as a reading aide at William Dick Elementary School and a math aide at Richard R. Wright Elementary School. She retired from the school district in 1987.
Shortly after retiring, Margaret mourned the loss of her husband. She and her youngest son, Kenneth, continued operating the funeral home, providing compassionate services to the Philadelphia community.
Margaret’s hobbies included knitting sweaters for her children, solving cryptograms, and traveling with family and friends to destinations ranging from Bermuda to Zambia.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Nathan McKenney and Ethel Lloyd.
Margaret Dupree is survived by her children Melanie, Carrie, Troy (and his wife Flossie), and Kenneth; daughter-in-law Edith; nephew Ernest (and Betty Ann); grandchildren Brook, Troy III, Amina, Ashezi, Timothy, and Ahmadu; and great-grandchildren Kingston, Baku, Tyson, Noah, Zion Macu, and Ivy.
**Visitation and Funeral Services**
– Visitation: Sunday, Dec. 28, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Dupree Funeral Home Inc., 2809-11 W. Diamond St., Philadelphia, PA 19121
– Funeral Service: Monday, Dec. 29
Location: Keeping It Real Christian Fellowship, 951 N. 10th St., Philadelphia, PA
Viewing: 9 a.m.
Service: 10 a.m.
For more information, please contact Dupree Funeral Home at 215-893-5719.
https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/margaret-dupree-a-retired-teacher-s-aide-and-president-of-dupree-funeral-home-dies-at/article_a7ba2774-feaa-4f40-b1c9-d608d1f140ff.html
