MARGARET NEISSER LOBENSTINE
AMHERST - Margaret Neisser Lobenstine, a peace and justice activist, published author of The Renaissance Soul, insightful life coach, ardent teacher, and devoted family member and friend, died Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, peacefully in her sleep.
Born in New York, she is survived by her husband of 50 years, classmate Geoff Lobenstine; her twin daughters Lori and Heather; her brothers Frank and David; and a large number of beloved in-laws, nephews and nieces, and grandnephews and nieces.
Margaret Lobenstine was raised outside of Washington, D.C., and one of her earliest political experiences was attending the 1963 March on Washington. She continued actively fighting against racism, opposing the Vietnam War, doing community organizing, working at an alternative press, and serving as a union shop steward in the Post Office. She organized to support the Nicaraguan revolution, spoke on PFLAG panels, and spoke out against child abuse and violence against women. She was a dedicated participant in the two year vigil to defend the home of war tax resisters Randy Kehler and Betsy Corner. More recently she risked arrest defending Springfield homes against foreclosures and joined marches about Black Lives Matter and climate change.
A Renaissance soul, Ms. Lobenstine's life went in many directions. After graduating from Swarthmore College with a political science major, she got a masters in education and taught at the New York University Reading Institute. She was a pioneer in the field of Bed and Breakfast Inns, and later a pioneer Life Coach. She worked as a Regional Master Trainer in the Commonwealth Literacy Corps. She was a motivational speaker and a trainer, on a wide variety of topics. She succeeded as a published author, and also had an unpublished novel. She took part for many years in a local creative writing workshop and in a book group. She volunteered at the Amherst Cinema's See/Hear/Feel program for third graders. She co-facilitated creative writing workshops for women in prison, and participated in advanced English conversation sessions with quite a few women from Asia.
Ms. Lobenstine loved telling stories, making people chuckle, connecting folks with things that excited them, reading, creating celebrations, mastering silent auctions, floating at Puffer's Pond, watching water sparkle at the Quabbin, greeting people with huge hugs, lovingly helping people to love themselves, glowing in the Alps, and figuring out creative, alternative solutions to almost any problem. She reveled in chocolate and German marzipan.
Her brothers and her in-laws mattered a lot to her. She was known as "S.A.M." (Silly Aunt Margaret) by her many nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and nephews. She enjoyed being the same age as any child she was with. She stayed in close touch with friends over the decades.
Beyond everything else was her enormous love for her husband of 50 years, and for her twin daughters, Heather and Lori, in whom she took great pride and joy. She talked, listened, asked questions, laughed, and beamed at all three of them.
