Margaret J. Messina
Margaret J. Messina, 95, of Phillipsburg, NJ passed away peacefully on June 4, 2025.She was the wife of Russell Messina, who passed away in 2007. She had been a resident of Arden Courts in Easton, PA since January.
Marge was born on April 18, 1930 in Brainards, NJ. Her mother was Julia Csezmadia and her step-father was Paul Schwar. She grew up on the dairy farm of her Hungarian grandparents in Brainards, and she spoke fluent Hungarian. Many of her fondest memories were of her time “on the farm.” She shared in the chores, such as milking the cows, and she learned some of her cooking skills from her grandmother.
She graduated from Belvidere High School in 1948. She made several lifelong friends there (Alma, Yvonne, and Betty) with whom she planned many of their class reunions. After high school, she went to work at the Dixie Cup factory in Wilson Borough, PA, where she worked for 40 years. She met Russ there, and they were married for 56 years before he passed away. Marge had been a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Alpha for her whole life.
Marge enjoyed spending time with her family. She and Russ traveled often with her cousins Ed, Fred, Dorothy and their families. She especially enjoyed their trips to Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas. She also enjoyed visiting her granddaughters in New York City, Washington, DC, and Seattle. She was a wonderful cook whose specialties included Hungarian cuisine like chicken paprikash and kiffles. Marge loved animals, and she had pet cats for many years. Her last cat, Frosty, went with her when she moved to Country Meadows-Forks in 2020.
Marge is survived by her daughter, Joan Tibbott (Bruce) and granddaughters Julie Tibbott, Gina Tibbott (Neel) and Lindsey Stone (David). She also has two great-grandchildren, Delilah and Bruce Stone.
Services will be held on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the Finegan Funeral Home, 302 Heckman Street, Phillipsburg, NJ. Visiting hours will be 9:30-11:00 am, followed by a service at 11:00 am. Entombment will follow at the Holy Apostles Mausoleum in Saint Philip and Saint James Cemetery in Greenwich Township, NJ. Visit www.fineganfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) or Common Sense for Animals (2420 Route 57, Stewartsville, NJ 08886). Marge will be smiling down peacefully on all of us!
The family would like to acknowledge the excellent care that Marge received at Arden Courts and through Holisticare Hospice. The entire staff of both organizations were very loving, kind, and compassionate when we needed it most. Thank you.