Margaret W. Rivera; beloved wife of Enrique; loving mother of Enrique II; cherished daughter of David and Deborah (nee Van Kampen) Watson; adored sister of David Watson Jr and Madeleine (Andrew) Mc Cusker; devoted daughter-in-law of Eliberto and Juana (nee Hernandez) Rivera; dear sister-in-law of Alberto (Bridgette Barry) Rivera; fond aunt of David III, Carmella, Joseph, Amias, Sofia and Luna; caring niece and cousin of many.

Margaret grew up to become exactly the kind of person the world needs most: generous, joyful, and effortlessly herself. She married her running partner and love of her life, and over the years, they built her dream life in Chicago. She loved “her boys” Enrique and Enrique II, who was, without question, her best friend and the greatest joy of her life.

Margaret had a rare gift: she loved everyone exactly as they were. She wasn't happy unless the people around her were happy, and that was never a hard task, because her big smile could lift a room without trying.

Everything good you can imagine in a person, she embodied. Margaret was an extraordinary athlete. Those who ran alongside her know that she was the kind of person who made you believe you could go farther than you thought. She was the glue of her running community just as she was the glue of her family and her circle of friends. She held people together. She made them feel like they belonged.

At every holiday, every gathering, every occasion, you could count on Margaret to have already thought of the treats, planned the activities, and made sure everyone had something to look forward to. And she never did it out of obligation; she did it because her joy came from ours. She was, in every sense, the heartbeat of our happiness.

From her earliest years, she was the kind of daughter who made her parents proud not just by what she accomplished but by who she simply was: kind, devoted, and full of light. Her nieces and nephews adored her, and she adored them in return with a love that went beyond compare. As a sister, she was a protector, a cheerleader, and a constant. She was an Ironman to us all: capable, present, and unconditionally devoted.

There are not enough words to capture her brilliance. She was everything good in the world, walking around in one person.

Margaret's greatest joy was her family. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting her son, Enrique II, as they navigate life without her. A fundraiser has been established at https://gofund.me/9a2024a5b

Visitation Friday, April 3, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday from 9 AM until 10:30 AM at the Dalcamo Funeral Home, 470 West 26th Street. Chapel service, Saturday April 4, 2026 at 10:30 AM. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.