Marguerite Sakir Hatch August 4, 1942 - October 31, 2016

WHAT WE DO

The oldest of two daughters born to second-generation Irish and Danish immigrants, Marguerite was born in Los Angeles and educated in Tucson, where she attended both Catholic and public schools. Raised in a family of modest means, Marguerite—better known as “Mimi”—learned how to sew from her industrious mother, a skill she used throughout her life to make her own clothes and those of her family. Upon graduation from Rincon High School in 1960 she married Clyde Sakir and moved to the Bay Area where her first child, Kelly, was born. The young family soon moved back to Tucson, where by1967 sons Guy and Casey had arrived to keep Mimi busy full-time. She was a fabulous mother, making hand-sewn costumes at Halloween, attending all her children’s sporting events and scout meetings and making sure that every birthday was a major event celebrated by family and friends. One of Mimi’s greatest familial achievements followed her divorce from Clyde in 1973 was that she and Clyde, despite their differences, remained friends until his death in 2012, and there was never a holiday gathering or important event to which either party was excluded. Mimi’s children did not have to “choose” with whom to spend their holidays. Both sides of the family got along beautifully and took turns hosting the major holiday celebrations. Mimi returned to school and earned her AA from Pima Community College in 1972, followed by a BA in Education from the University of Arizona in 1974. Immediately hired by the Amphitheater Public School District, she taught thousands of students over the next 13 years in a way that opened their minds and hearts to the world around them. In 1981, after 9 years living with her marvelous mother—known to all as “Grandma Tracy” or “Mrs T”—Mimi was able to save enough money to purchase a small two-bedroom home for herself and her children. By this time she had also become a citizen lobbyist for RESULTS, advocating for greater federal resources for healthcare, nutrition, and education in support of low-income mothers and their children, both domestic and international. She was personally responsible for convincing Arizona Senator, John McCain, to vote in favor of at least six funding bills for these initiatives. In 1988 Mimi married John K Hatch, founder of FINCA, a newly-launched nonprofit that would eventually provide self-employment loans to over 2 million low-income families in 22 Third World countries. Mimi is considered the “godmother” of FINCA for helping John write the first manual of his microfinance model—known as “village banking”—which has been replicated in over 800 projects worldwide. For the next two decades Mimi and John traveled widely promoting village banking projects, including multi-year assignments in El Salvador and Guatemala. In El Salvador, Mimi supported and fundraised for several orphanages, work recognized with a commendation from the U.S. Embassy. Returning to the U.S. in 1994, John worked in FINCA’s home office, visiting field operations on four continents. For her part, Mimi served as a conference planner for the federal Department of Education. During this period they also continued to travel extensively overseas. When Mimi’s youngest son Casey died in 2004, the couple began to prepare for retirement. In 2006, Mimi and John retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico where Mimi renewed her activism with RESULTS and took a lead role in fundraising and gathering clothing and school supplies for ADELANTE, a nonprofit serving some 1,200 homeless school children. In this unique and wonderful city, Mimi’s social calendar blossomed—via two book clubs, two Mahjong groups, fundraisers, weekly lunches with friends, and frequent dinner parties at her home in Rancho Viejo, which is blessed with arguably one of the five best scenic views in the city. Sadly, on October 31, 2016, Mimi’s life was cut short by malignant melanoma. She is survived by her younger sister, Karol Duncan, by her daughter Kelly Sakir and son Guy Sakir, by her husband of 28 years, John Hatch, and by their ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren, all of whom each night sleep under quilts sewn by Mimi. Mimi will be sorely missed here on Earth. But we are sure her spirit will guide her family and friends from Beyond to lead rich, full lives and to continue her work in the service of mothers of and children in poverty.

 

 Mimi's Life: A Journey Through Photos (Click on a photo to start the slide show)