Margaret Ann Tune

October 25, 1921 – September 4, 2020

Margaret Tune, an independent thinker with a passion for books and the arts, died at the age of 98 in Oakland, California. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lee Andrew Tune Jr., and is survived by her children, Mark Tune (Brenda) and Martha Briggs (Clark), a granddaughter, Alissa Briggs, and a great granddaughter, Julia Briggs Duffin. She had two younger brothers, Ernest Ellestad (deceased) and George Ellestad. Margaret was determined and adventurous throughout her long life. The daughter of two educators, Theodore and Marie Ellestad, she was born and raised in Coalinga, California. She excelled at school, graduating in 1942 as a Delta Zeta from Oregon State University, just in time for the war. She chose to enlist as an officer in the WAVES and was stationed in New York City.

Following the war, Margaret enrolled in graduate school at the University of California – Berkeley. It was there that she reconnected with Lee Tune, who had been in her kindergarten class in Coalinga. After a whirlwind courtship, the two married in 1948 and settled down to raising a family in Oakland, San Lorenzo, and Whittier, California. Active in the PTA, church, and scouting, she became known for her organizational abilities. These she used to plan annual family backcountry vacations in the High Sierra.

In 1965 Margaret and Lee seized the opportunity in connection with Lee’s work with Standard Oil to move the family to Iran and begin a thirteen-year odyssey of life in another culture. Mark and Martha finished high school at the American Community School in Beirut. The family formed numerous friendships with Iranians, Europeans, and other American expatriates, and traveled widely in the Middle East, Europe, and Far East. Margaret also advocated for, created, and managed a library in Masjid i Suleiman, and found time to visit archeological sites and study the proud history of the Persian people.

Upon their return to California, Margaret and Lee settled in the Marina District of San Francisco and later Pacifica. They moved after retirement to Arroyo Grande, California and Tucson, Arizona. Margaret continued to volunteer in libraries, and they traveled around the United States to visit friends and family, and attend golf tournaments. They also looked forward to their annual golfing trips on the big island of Hawaii. Widowed in 2000, Margaret moved back to Oakland to be near her family. She enjoyed and supported the symphony and opera, and traveled to visit family, explore the Panama Canal and Alaska, and revisit Paris. When possible, she would go to Bear Valley, where she rode on a snowmobile at age 93. She was able to spend her final years at home, supported by a team of loving and dedicated caregivers, and her daughter-in-law and son.

Margaret was a major influence and inspiration to her family. Her gentle support and encouraging nature, kindness, quiet determination, pursuit of excellence, love of learning, and subtle wit meant everything to those who knew her. She will live on in their fond memories and how they conduct their lives.