Charlton : Marguerite "Marge" (Silvestri) Jalbert, 78, of Ash Rd., passed away on

Sunday, Sept. 13th, surrounded by the love of her family, after a courageous and determined fight that surprised no one who knew her.

Marge was not one to go quietly — she loved life, her family, and her town with everything she had.

Born on June 7, 1948, in Putnam, CT, Marge came to Charlton at the age of five and never left.  Charlton was not just where she lived — it was who she was.  She graduated from Charlton High School in 1966 and spent the next six decades giving herself to her community through music, service, friendship, and an open door that never seemed to close. In 1986, she and Ed moved to the lake house on Glen Echo Lake, built on land her parents had loved as a summer home and lovingly passed down to their daughter.  From that day forward, Marge called it what it truly was — a vacation home that just happened to be permanent.  The

lake, the boats, the jet skis, and the grandchildren running through the yard in summer were her paradise, and she cherished every moment.  Music was the language of Marge's soul.  For more than fifty years, she shared her extraordinary gift with anyone who would listen, playing piano, organ, guitar, and her beloved

accordion. She served as church organist for weddings, funerals, and every sacred moment in between.  For more than thirty years, she coordinated the Christmas tree lighting on Charlton Common and presented a beloved Christmas concert to the community. She taught music at VBS summer camps, performed at the Masonic Home, and devoted herself to St. Joe's Women's Club, the Charlton Garden Club, the Glen Echo Lake Association, and the founding of Boy Scout Troop 338.  The town of Charlton honored her with the Individual Community Service Award — a recognition she wore quietly and deserved completely.

At the center of everything was her family.  She and her husband, Ed, shared 56 years of devoted partnership — a love story told every morning when Ed would catch her coming down the stairs and call out, without fail, "Here she is — Miss America." She would roll her eyes.  She secretly loved every word of it.

Her kitchen was the heart of her home, always fragrant with homemade sauce and full of people gathered around the promise of something delicious.  Marge believed that food, like music, was meant to be shared. She was also a fierce and devoted cribbage player — known to run a 17-game winning streak from a hospital bed — and was not above bending the rules if the moment called for it.

Her home on the lake was always open — to family, grandchildren finding their way, and anyone who needed a place to land. She and Ed freely gave their table, their time, and their roof, and watched with quiet pride as the people they welcomed went on to build lives of their own.  Marge was blessed with friends who showed up for her the way she had always shown up for others. Over the past two years, cards arrived nearly every day.  Food was brought without being asked. Phone calls came, visits were made, and musicians traveled to the lake to play for

her — a serenade she received with the joy of someone who had spent a lifetime giving music away and now felt it returned. Her friends held her up in the way only true friendship can, and her family is forever grateful for every one of them.

The family also wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the extraordinary medical teams who cared for Marge over the past two years — especially her oncologist, Dr. Holstead, and her palliative care physician, Dr. Murphy; the hospital staff who cared for her throughout those two-plus years; and the dedicated doctors and nurses in infectious disease. A special thank you goes to the Acute Rehab team on the second floor of Overlook, who met every challenge with compassion, creativity, and an unwavering willingness to try.  Because of them, Marge had more time, more life, and more mornings on the lake. There are no adequate words for what that gift has meant.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Ed Jalbert; her four children and their families: John Jalbert and his wife, Alison, and their children, John, Michael, and Sarah; Jim Jalbert and his wife, Renee, and their children, Nicholas and Emma; Deb Lambert and her husband, Ritchie, and their children, Ethan and Owen; and David Jalbert and his wife, Danielle, and their children, Dylan and Addy.  She is also survived by her brother, Ken Silvestri and his wife Sandra.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Anthony and Beatrice (Liguori) Silvestri; her sister, Barbara Bonin; and her brother, Joseph Silvestri.

Marge filled every room she entered and left it better than she found it. She fed people, taught people, and loved people — loudly, faithfully, and on her own terms. Charlton will not be the same without her.

In her final days, Marge found peace in the music she had given her whole life to — Christian hymns and the oldies that had always made her feel at home. For those who loved her, the sound of a church organ or a familiar melody will forever carry her presence within it.

A funeral Mass for Marge will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26th at 12:00 pm in St. Joseph's Church, 10 H. Putnam Rd. Ext., Charlton.  Burial in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton, will be private at a later date.  Calling hours in the church will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26th, from 10:00 to 12:00 pm, prior to the Mass.

Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home, 130 Hamilton St., Southbridge is directing the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Cholangiocarcinoma Research Foundation, 5526 West 13400 South, #510, Herriman, Utah 84096 or online at www.cholangiocarcinoma.org