Born: 01/25/1943
New York, NY
Died: 05/29/2026
Burlington, VT
Details of service:
Margaret Harrington Tamulonis, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, actress, activist, volunteer, and storyteller, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2026 at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington after a long illness, surrounded by the love of her family. She was 83.
She was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend whose intelligence, humor, strength and warmth enriched the lives of everyone who knew her. She loved conversation, ideas, books, theater and the people closest to her.
Born in New York City on January 25, 1943, Margaret was the daughter of Patrick Harrington, a decorated Irish patriot, and Margaret Keenan Harrington. She inherited from her parents a fierce sense of justice, intellectual curiosity, and a belief that one person could make a difference. Raised alongside her older brother Timothy, Margaret displayed an early love of literature that would shape the course of her life.
Margaret spent many years as a respected member of New York City’s Off-Broadway theater community as an actress, playwright and director. She held first professional role in a 1961 New York City production of The Trojan Women by Euripides, presented by the Ancient Drama Company.
Over the decades, she built a distinguished career in New York’s Off-Broadway and experimental theater communities, originating roles in productions at the American Place Theatre, the Women’s Theater Project, INTAR, and Theater for the New City, often with her daughters in tow. She collaborated with playwright María Irene Fornés on several productions and originated the role of Julia in Fornés’ groundbreaking “Fefu and Her Friends,” now recognized as a landmark work of American theater. Among the roles she most cherished were Clytemnestra in “Iphigenia in Aulis,” Rosaura in “Life Is a Dream,” Julia in “Fefu and Her Friends,” and Lan in Rochelle Owens’ “He Wants Shih.“
During her theatre career, one of her plays was produced Off-Broadway while she was starring in another play in a theater several blocks away. In her final stage role as the Doorkeeper in Euripides’ “Helen” in Burlington in 2018, Margaret made her last entrance walking backward onto the stage. Those who knew her might smile at the symbolism.
Her gifts extended well beyond the theater. A lifelong advocate for peace and social justice, Margaret dedicated decades to activism and public service. Her work began in 1965 when she worked alongside Dorothy Day through the Catholic Worker movement and continued throughout her life as a member of numerous peace movements, and an active participant in peace marches. After settling in Vermont, she hosted the public-access television program Nuclear Free Future Conversation, using community media to educate and engage the public on issues of nuclear weapons, nuclear power and peace. She believed deeply in civic engagement, compassion, and the possibility of building a better world.
At the center of Margaret’s life was her enduring love story with her husband Lenny. Fifty-six years after they married, they remained deeply devoted to one another, sharing a love of literature, humor, and nature. Together they built a life rich in purpose, adventure and affection. From the stages and streets of New York City to the fields and forests of Vermont, their marriage stood as a testament to friendship, partnership and a love that only deepened with time.
Throughout her life, she remained curious about the world. After leaving the stage she received a master’s degree in education while in her 50s and taught English as a second language, making and maintaining friends from all over the world. Suddenly feeling idle, she studied the cello and raised Pygmy goats. Poetry and literature were her lifeblood, and she wrote a sonnet a day for much of her life in Vermont. She was also a member of the Emily Dickinson International Society and happily participated in The Dickens Universe.
Margaret wished for more time, as all who loved her wished for more time with her. She leaves behind a remarkable legacy of artistry, advocacy, service and love. Her life touched countless people through the theater, volunteer work, activism, and her family.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 56 years, Lenny; her daughters, Margaret and Cybele; their partners, Melanie and Oren; her grandchildren, Joseph, Evelyn, Grant, and Aleph; and a wide circle of relatives, friends, fellow artists, and community members whose lives were enriched by her presence.
Her family finds comfort in knowing that she lived fully, loved deeply, and remained true to her convictions until the end. The family would also like to express their deepest and utmost heartfelt thanks to the doctors and nurses and all the staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center for the extraordinary compassion, care, and support they gave to Margaret and her family.
