Margaret Molle

Margaret (Seah) Molle, “Margo”, 65, of Bethesda, MD, formerly of East Hanover, NJ, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on September 3, 2022.

In 1950 Margaret’s parents Hok-Ha Chan and Lai-King (Tam) fled from their prosperous life in mainland China to a life of poverty in Hong Kong to avoid imminent persecution by the Communists as Hok-Ha was a prime target having served as a member of the Nationalist Army. Margaret (Chun-Mei Chan) was born in Hong Kong in 1956. In 1958, when she was 2 years of age, one of her brothers died of an insect bite and her father died of infectious hepatitis. These events would not have happened had the family been able to afford medical care.

In 1960, Margaret’s mother remarried to Siang-Chow Seah. Although he was not rich by any standard, her family’s life improved and they were able to move from a shantytown to an apartment in HK. Margaret (now Wai-Yuen Seah) was renamed per Chinese custom. Margaret worked as a child laborer putting together small plastic toys.

In 1969, at the age of 13, through the aid of her grandfather (who was already in the US and finally able to locate Margaret’s family) her family was reunited (her older brother Chun-Wai and younger sister Lily were being raised in an orphanage and foster home respectfully) and immigrated to the United States. Margaret recalled being sick during most of the journey, having never been on an airplane before and seeing snow for the first time during a brief layover in Fairbanks, Alaska. As a US Citizen she took the name of Margaret Seah.

The family settled in upper Manhattan in their grandfather’s apartment and Margaret began working with family members in a sweatshop garment factory in Chinatown, eventually owning their own factory and moving to a house in Brooklyn (and later to West Hempstead, Long Island). Margaret passed a rigorous exam and became part of the first female class to attend Brooklyn Technical High School with around 5600 boys and 200 girls.

Margaret received her bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Rutgers College of Pharmacy (1980) where she met the love of her life in 1976, and they married in 1982.  She worked as a hospital pharmacist for a period-of-time and then devoted her life to raising their two children in New Jersey. One of her greatest joys was watching her children's sports games, recitals, concerts, and award ceremonies.

Margaret was passionate about gardening, cooking, baking, and dancing. She was warm and welcoming to everyone. She valued and nurtured her close friendships with lifelong friends, East Hanover friends, the Madison YMCA Joy Ladies Club, and new friends at the JCC in Maryland. Her beautiful smile, infectious laugh, and vibrant spirit were hallmarks of her character. She was full of life.

Beloved wife of 40 years to Michael Molle.  Devoted mother of Joyce Margaret Gendelman, her husband Steve, and Kevin Michael Molle.  Dear sister of Lucia, Chun- Wai, Lily, Debby, and John.  Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

Visitation at the Leonardis Memorial Home, Inc., 210 Ridgedale Avenue, Florham Park on Friday from 4-7pm.  Funeral on Saturday assembling at the funeral home at 8:30am followed by the funeral mass at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover at 9:35am.  Interment at Restland Memorial Park. 

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