Margaret Lee (Phelps) Sottosanti peacefully passed away on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with her children by her side. Born on April 15, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio, Margaret was raised in Maple Heights, Ohio, by her parents, foster parents, and grandparents. She graduated from Maple Heights Senior High School in 1963 and went on to attend Kent State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1967.

Following her college graduation, she married Anthony Sottosanti and began teaching elementary school at Parma City Schools in Parma, Ohio. Margaret paused her teaching career when her daughters were born, and she cherished her time as a stay-at-home mother while they were young. When Karen and Kristin were in elementary school, she returned to teaching, first at St. Mary of the Falls School in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, and then at St. Richard School in
North Olmsted, Ohio. Margaret and Anthony divorced in 1986.

In 1990, Margaret moved to Georgia and taught briefly at Atlanta City Schools before moving to Stockbridge and starting her career in Henry County Schools. There, she found what she described as her true calling in the education of gifted and talented elementary school students. Margaret dedicated herself to the education of young students at Wesley Lakes Elementary School in McDonough, Georgia; Hampton Elementary School in Hampton, Georgia;
and several other elementary schools. In 1998, she graduated from Piedmont College with a Master of Arts in Teaching (Early Childhood Education), and in 2006, she earned National Board Certification.

Margaret was a teacher through and through. Whether it was burying objects in the ground to teach her students about archeology or challenging them to build popsicle stick roller coasters to teach them about engineering and physics, she made learning fun. From time to time, she would receive letters, phone calls, or visits from former students—lawyers, teachers, even an astronaut-in-training—thanking her for inspiring them in their own educational and career paths. Knowing that she had helped her students find their way brought her an abundance of joy. In 2004, Margaret was named Teacher of the Year at Wesley Lakes and was a finalist for Henry County Teacher of the Year. After 36 years in elementary education, she retired in 2011.

Following her retirement, Margaret became active in her church community at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in McDonough, GA. She was a founding member of New Beginnings, a ministry that provides food and clothing assistance and temporary shelter to community members in need. In addition, she was an active member of the Council of Catholic Women and of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which provides assistance to community members struggling with housing, food, utilities, and other needs. For years, she assembled bags of food and supplies for people who were homeless and accompanied members of a local church on trips to distribute the bags. Margaret’s faith was deeply felt, and she lived her life in service to God and to her community. In 2017, she was honored for her work with the church when she was named an Outstanding Catholic Woman of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Like her father and eldest daughter, Margaret was a fan of sci-fi and horror novels and films. She could often be found reading, with a cup of tea at her side and a cat (over the years, seven of them) in her lap. She was a born gardener with the greenest of thumbs, and she was in her element when she was planting and tending her flowers. Her happiest moments were spent with family and old friends. Margaret found beauty and peace in the small things: a kind gesture between strangers, a hummingbird zipping between flowers, the laughter of her grandchildren. She had a natural curiosity about the world, and she loved to talk to people; whenever she met a new person, they were soon laughing and chatting like old friends. Margaret gave her whole heart to everyone. She always thought of others, and she knew that helping and caring for others helps humanity as a whole. She had faith in people. She hoped for a world with no barriers, a world in which people loved and cherished one another.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, John H. Phelps and Catherine Ethel Brickman; her stepmother, Anita Turner; her stepfather, Eddie Brickman; her sister, Dornita Moody; her brother, John Phelps; her uncles, Charlie Phelps and Ed Haney; and her aunt, Vivian Haney. She is survived by her daughter, Karen, and son-in-law, Ken Cleaver, and their children, Audrey and Nathaniel; her daughter, Kristin, and her son, Amare Norfleet; her brothers, Mark Phelps, Charlie Phelps, and Ted Phelps; her aunt, Judy Phelps; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

A funeral Mass will be held for Margaret at 11 am on Thursday, March 12, at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church, 1000 Decatur Road, McDonough, GA 30252. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations, through the St. James website, to the New Beginnings Ministry or the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
https://www.stjmcdonough.org/
https://www.stjmcdonough.org/new-beginnings-ministry
https://www.stjmcdonough.org/st-vincent-de-paul