Margaret Susan Andrews

Margaret Susan Andrews, 75,  passed away in her Chincoteague Island home on October 22, 2024, after a fierce battle against pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her husband, Marvin Rubin, daughter, Emma Andrews Dacol, son-in-law, Joey Miller, her siblings, Evelyn Andrews Roberts and John Dawson Andrews Jr., her first husband, Dalcio Dacol, and her many nieces, nephews, in-laws and beloved friends, human and animal alike.

Margaret was born on February 24, 1949, in Farmville, North Carolina, to the late Evelyn Grimsley Andrews and John Dawson Andrews. She attended Farmville High School, where she was editor of the school yearbook, played the flute, and graduated as her class’s Salutatorian in 1967. Childhood friends described her as “Quietly vital, interested and engaged in life. Adventurous and so very smart!” 

After high school, Margaret attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where she majored in journalism, consistently making the Dean’s list. An adventurous spirit, after graduating college in 1971, Margaret traveled through South America and lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for one and a half years, working as a journalist for the English-speaking newspaper, the Brazil Herald. She adored her time in Brazil, becoming fluent in Portuguese, a skill she retained for her entire life.

After returning to the United States, Margaret earned a Master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Maryland - College Park and went on to earn a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of California - Berkeley in 1982.  Margaret met her first husband, Dalcio Dacol, a Brazilian UC - Berkeley PhD candidate in physics in the mid-1970s. Margaret and Dalcio moved to Princeton, NJ, in 1981, where Dalcio worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, and Margaret worked as an Assistant Professor of economics at Rutgers University. 

In 1985, Margaret and Dalcio moved to Washington, D.C., where Dalcio Dacol worked as a physicist at the Naval Research Center. Margaret worked as an Economist for the Economic Research Center at the United States Department of Agriculture. She researched hunger and household food security in the United States, retiring in the mid-2010s. Margaret’s daughter, Emma, was born on March 4, 1988, in Washington, D.C. Emma and Margaret remained close throughout her life. Emma admired her mother’s independence, vivacity, adventurous spirit, and intellectualism. 

An active individual, Margaret kept up with her hobbies throughout her life, taking yoga and meditation classes, going on annual cross-country ski trips with friends, regularly biking long distances, and going hiking, birdwatching, and backpacking with friends and family.  

In the early 2010s, Margaret met her current husband, Marvin Rubin, through a mutual interest in birding. After retiring, she and Marvin moved to Chincoteague Island, VA, where Margaret made many friends and touched many lives. Margaret and Marvin married in 2017. They traveled all over the world together, usually to go bird watching, with favorite destinations including the cloud forests of Trinidad, the coral reefs of Roatán, Brazil, Peru, and California.

While living in Chincoteague, Margaret was very involved in the Accomack County Democratic Committee (ACDC). Her most significant contribution was her work as the Data Analyst and Chief Administrator of ACDC’s Voter Activation Network (VAN). In this role, she was a force to be reckoned with. Her work as ACDC VAN Administrator and Data Analyst provided an evidence-based rationale for the selection of targets and strategies for the ACDC’s GOTV efforts.

Margaret Susan Andrews fully embraced life. Although she died too soon, she lived a full, colorful life and made a difference in many lives. Quietly leading by example, 

Margaret was an inspiration to all who knew her. She will be dearly missed and never forgotten. 

Services will occur at a later date.

Services entrusted to Salyer Funeral Home, Inc. on Chincoteague Island, VA. Online condolences may be made at www.salyerfh.com.

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