Avalon’s Margaret Warner to be 100 on Jan. 9, 2021
Margaret Warner, of Avalon, was born in Germany in 1921 and moved to New York with her family when she was 6 years old. She began loving art at a very young age and it has been a life long passion. Her early career involved painting miniatures of vintage photographs as she continued her studies at the Pratt Institute In Brooklyn.
She met Harold Warner, a native Catalina Islander, during the war while he was in New York, attending the Navy’s deep-sea diving school. They soon fell in love and after writing letters for two years she traveled to the island and married Harold in 1946.
Together in Avalon they raised four children, John, Jeff, Valerie and Richard. As a very busy mother she still found free time to use her creative skills and develop her artistic talents. She was a founding member of the Catalina Art Association in 1961 and took advantage of many workshops that were offered on the island. For many years, Margaret entered the Catalina Art Festival to sell her paintings, winning various awards including the Best Catalina Scene. Through the decades, her creative talents expanded into sewing, knitting, ceramics, doll making, glass art and more recently she delved into jewelry making. Finding ocean tumbled shards of Catalina Pottery; Margaret glazed and re-fired them, creating one of a kind pieces with exquisite beads that were very popular with the ladies at the Art Shows. Never one to miss an opportunity for enjoying the island activities, she also was an avid golfer and accomplished bridge player.
Margaret’s 75-year history on the island is a rare treasure and she has an incredible memory for details of life on the island. Walking down memory lane with her is like going to the Catalina Museum of quaint and precious stories of long ago. She attributes her long life to staying active, eating healthy, being creative, having a determined attitude and enjoying all the people in her family and community. The Warner family invites local residents to drive by Margaret’s home at 364 Whittley Ave., on Jan. 9, 2021, between the hours of 2 and 3 p.m. to celebrate her 100th birthday.
