Margaret Ensley

Margaret Ensley was born on February 13, 1939, in Mississippi and passed away on March 9, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts. The eldest of four children of the late James and Ruby Barbour, she married Isiah Ensley Jr. at the age of eighteen. He affectionately called her his bride throughout their sixty-two years of marriage. Together they raised two daughters, Carla Miller and Tammy Hemingway, both of Boston.

Shortly after their children were born, Margaret and Isiah moved north to Boston, where they purchased their first home. Margaret was a devoted member of Greater Life Baptist Church for thirty-five years, where she was lovingly known as “mother of the church” under the leadership of Apostle John Farris. She worked as a certified nursing assistant at Boston State Hospital, as a sales associate at the William Carter Company, and retired as a front-end manager from Bradlees.

In her free time, Margaret found joy in family gatherings, fishing trips, cooking, and tending her garden. As the matriarch of her family, she guided and nurtured many with quiet strength and grace. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunt, and friend. Although she had two biological daughters, she became a mother to many more. Her warmth, her endless love for her family, and her captivating stories that left everyone laughing will be deeply missed.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Isiah, and her three sisters, Ethel DeShields, Bertha Barbour, and Billy Jean Jackson. She is survived by her daughters, Carla Miller and Tammy Hemingway; grandchildren Tameisha Ensley, Marquis Ensley, and Kory James Young; great-granddaughter Shania Ensley; great-great-grandchildren Sevyn Larkins and Syncere Larkins; sisters-in-law Annie Mae Morris and Ella Jo Williams; brothers-in-law Randolph (Barbara) Parker, Eldgridge Lee (Renee) Parker, Al (Vivian) Parker, David (Sheila) Parker, and George (Pam) Parker; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.