Margaret Louise Walther Cañizares of Argyle, Texas passed away on July 16, 2025, after several years of fighting leukemia. Margaret was born May 4, 1960, to John Rudolph Walther and Rita Cecelia Florane Walther in Biloxi, Mississippi. Margaret leaves behind a legacy of building community, humor, and an empathetic spirit. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother Patrick Walther.

Margaret grew up on Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. The eldest of seven children, Margaret began “mothering” early in her life. Her ability to listen made her an appreciated mentor and confidante to many. After graduating as valedictorian of her class from Hackberry High School, she attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana and studied zoology. It was at McNeese that Margaret met her husband, Arturo (Gabe), who fatefully agreed to coach their intramural volleyball team. They enjoyed more than 40 years together and 39 years of marriage in a relationship characterized by service to others. Margaret and Gabe enjoyed travelling together, and Margaret appreciated learning about her husband’s culture in Colombia and Spain.

Margaret's faith was a cornerstone of her life. Throughout her illness, she maintained a positive spirit inspired by her confidence in God. At her passing, she was a parishioner of St. John Paul II University Parish in Denton, Texas, where she led the rosary before the 5:30PM Mass. Always involved in church community, Margaret impacted people at many parishes throughout her life, including Our Lady of Good Counsel in Lake Charles, Louisiana where she staffed retreats, sang in the folk music group, and served in campus ministry; Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama and St. Cyril’s Catholic Church in Houston where she sang in the choirs; and St. Mark Catholic Church in Denton, where she taught religious education, decorated the church, and served in the ACTS ministry. For more than a decade, Margaret was involved with the Catholic Daughters at St. Mark and St. John Paul II parishes and served as a District Deputy for five local Catholic Daughters courts.

Margaret was dedicated to serving others, and she was passionate about working with the Boy Scouts of America/Scouting USA. Beyond volunteering with her own sons in their packs and troops, Margaret supported scouting in her community for decades. Throughout her years of service, she directed Cub Scout Day Camp numerous times, served as a commissioner to multiple packs, was District Commissioner for the Topsanah District, led the Catholic Scouting Retreat many years, was honored to be a leader in initiating the first girl troop in the area, and was awarded for her service with the District Award of Merit, Topsanah District Bridge Builder Award, the Bronze Pelican, and the Silver Beaver Award.

Margaret was a lifelong learner, who was voraciously curious about nature. She was an avid fossil collector and loved putting her feet in water at the beach or lake. She would happily identify a species of bird, insect, or plant for her loved ones who sent her photos. Margaret taught formally and informally throughout her life and loved her years of being an educator at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary. She was the kind of person who thought worms were cute and could identify them by their jaws.

In her life, Margaret served as a central thread that joined her family, friends, church, and scouting communities. Margaret is survived by her husband, Arturo Gabriel Cañizares, and children, Daniel and Michelle Cañizares, Phillip and Jessica Cañizares, Monica Cañizares and Prashant Hariharan, and Anthony Cañizares. Also left to cherish her memory are her siblings Catherine and Michael Montgomery, Dorothy and Orin Ortego, David and Marie Walther, Patricia Walther, Anita Walther, Cecilia and Toby Richmond, Jairo and Maria Cristina Cañizares Arango, and Adriana and Orlando Ayala Cañizares; as well as many nieces and nephews who cherished her sense of humor and knowledge of the natural world.

Margaret donated her body for the purposes of research and teaching to Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. A Memorial Mass for Margaret will be held at Saint John Paul II University Parish on July 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM, followed by a reception. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://everloved.com/life-of… for the Cañizares and Walther families. Instead of flowers, Memorial Masses or acts of service to others are requested by the family in memory of Margaret.

Margaret was very creative and enjoyed crafting and music throughout her life. In her final hospitalization, she was often comforted by the music therapy staff. After one visit, she wrote down a few of her “Favorite Things.” Here’s her rendition:

Glistening soap bubbles, Brownies and milk

Warm ocean water, and clothes made of silk

Swirling, twirling, dancing fall leaves

These are a few of my favorite things

The smell of Thanksgiving and Sweet strawberries,

Jellybean candies, and Sun-warmed blackberries

Sunlight shimmering through the trees

These are a few of my favorite things

When the mosquito bites

When the sunburn stings

When I’m feeling sad.

I simply remember my favorite things

and then I don’t feel so bad

Dried cotton seed heads, and Dandelions

The sound of the wind whistling through the pines

The smell of the earth after a rain

These are a few of my favorite things

Baby animals, Stars twinkling

Seeing my rosebuds, Smores roasting

Bioluminescence in the canal

These are a few of my favorite things

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