Margaret Sasaki (née Stark) gracefully passed away at the age of 66 in her Houston, TX home on December 9, 2022. Born in Orléans, France, she was the daughter of Peter and Carol Stark and grew up in Briarcliff Manor, NY. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, Margaret travelled to Japan where she resided for 13 years, during which time she met her late husband Kazuki Sasaki and had their daughter Emmy Sasaki.

Upon returning to the United States, Margaret eventually went on to work in the field of development for several institutions and non-profit organizations including Yale University, UTMB, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, The Menninger Clinic, DePelchin Children’s Center, and most recently, Holocaust Museum Houston. Margaret’s talent and passion for fundraising and philanthropy culminated in her raising over $1.2B over the span of her career.

Margaret enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid kayaker and bicyclist. Her other passions included spending time with close friends, cooking and baking, reading, and animal rescue. She loved dogs and had a special fondness for Pugs. Margaret is survived by her Schnauzer-Pug mix Monkey, who is now a cherished member of her daughter’s household.

Margaret and her family are forever thankful to her oncology team at MD Anderson Cancer Center, including Dr. Shannon Westin and Nurse Julie George, whose dedication and excellence gave Margaret two quality years following her Stage IV endometrial cancer diagnosis in 2020, and Dr. Aimee Christie who provided emotional support through her cancer journey. In Margaret’s final weeks of life, her favorite and most trusted caregiver, Katrina Bell, took care of her with great skill and compassion. Margaret and her family are also grateful to the F. D. Rich Company of Stamford, CT, for whom Emmy has worked for the past 13 years, and whose support during Margaret’s illness allowed her daughter to stay by her mother’s side in Houston until her very last day.

In addition to her daughter, her son-in-law Vicenzio Hysler, and her parents, Margaret is survived by her sisters, Ann Pompiean, and Elisabeth Stark; niece Isabella Pompiean, and nephew Charles Pompiean. Margaret will be interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY alongside her late brother Christopher Stark.

In remembrance of Margaret’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Jewish Family Service Houston (www.jfshouston.org) and Holocaust Museum Houston (https://hmh.org/give/).