Margaret Ratay

Beloved mother and grandmother, Margaret Ratay, 81, of Warwick, RI, passed away peacefully, with her daughter by her side and the love and prayers of her family surrounding her, (at Apple Rehab Clipper, Westerly) on October 5, 2021.

Marge was raised in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia and had family ties to upstate Pennsylvania. She attended St. Ladislaus School and along with her family, was active in the Polish/Ukrainian/Slovak parish and celebrated the many traditional holiday and homemade foods of this cultural background. A graduate of Little Flower Catholic High School for girls, Marge went on to work for Philco Ford, which was known for radio and television production.

Her career became a deeply-felt accomplishment once she moved onto working for the Coca-Cola Company at its headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Marge was a self-made executive, starting as a secretary in the packaging graphics division, she worked her way up to project management for such iconic brands as A&W Root Beer, Cadbury-Schweppes, Snapple and RC Cola. She was part of the packaging design team which rolled out Diet Coke in 1982. She was highly regarded in the industry for her positivity and warmth. As they say in the South, “she was good people.”

Retirement granted a precious gift to Marge. She became a daily presence in the life of her “Sunshine,” her granddaughter, Carina Grace. “Nana” saved her best hugs, brightest and widest smiles and limitless pride for her Carina.

In addition to her “bestest” granddaughter, Carina Barceline, Marge will be forever missed by her deeply grateful daughter, Peggy Harrigan; her loyal brother, Jack Ratay and his wife, Carolyn; her devoted sister, Frances Farmer and her husband, John; her nieces Kimberly Roth (Shawn), Natalie Sibley (Joel) and Jennifer Molina (Ben) and their families; and her nephew, John D. Ratay (Shelby) and his family.

Marge was predeceased by her loving mother and father, Margaret and John Ratay; and dear son-in-law, Stephen E. Doyle.

With her kind and compassionate way, Marge found friends in all corners and times of her life who will remember her fondly. We all have been honored by her thoughtfulness, easy-going nature, her “bright-side” mentality, her contagious smile and her immeasurable lucky streak at Bingo and rummy 500.

Private services will be held. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to St. Jude’s Research Hospital or the American Heart Association.