Margaret Hall Olshefski

Margaret Hall Olshefski – A Life of Faith, Family, & New Beginnings

Authored By: Her Loving Family in Love of their Matriarch

Margaret Hall Olshefski, 88, of Calhoun, Georgia, died September 27, 2026, after a life marked by faith, resilience, humor, independence and an enduring ability to begin again.

Born Margaret Meriwether Ballard on November 23, 1937, in Atlanta, she was the daughter of Virginia Hall Ballard and Davidson Fulco Ballard. She later chose Hall as part of her name in honor of her mother’s family.

Margaret spent some of her earliest years along Techwood in Atlanta. Childhood brought hardship, uncertainty and the painful loss of her beloved older brother, Dave. Those experiences helped forge a fierce independence that Margaret carried throughout her life and deliberately encouraged in her children, grandchildren and generations that followed.

Margaret raised three children, Dawn, Dana and Greg, and her greatest pride was her children and the families they raised. Family remained at the center of her life. She prayed for her people, celebrated them, supported their ambitions and made certain they knew they were loved.

At 59, already a grandmother, Margaret returned to Dalton College to become a nurse, later working at AdventHealth and The Villages Hospital. That professional reinvention also set her on a path to Anthony “Tony” Olshefski, who proposed during one of her late-night nursing shifts. They married in 2006 and spent their years together traveling the world, building friendships and creating a new home in The Villages. Among the memories Margaret treasured most was her 75th birthday, when Tony gathered her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren together at Smithgall Woods for a family celebration. They remained together until his death in 2019.

Those who knew Margaret will remember her as warm, funny, generous, charismatic and wonderfully opinionated. She was sharp-minded, fiercely protective, always beautifully put together and able to make friends effortlessly. She also had a gift for saying what others were thinking with humor and tact – often with a well-placed “bless your heart” and the distinctive laugh that those who knew her will remember well.

Margaret loved Christmas, music, St. Simons, travel, bridge, books, desserts and the small dogs and cats that so often occupied her lap throughout her life. She remembered birthdays on a carefully kept calendar, sent handwritten cards and notes, and slipped folded dollar bills into grandchildren’s hands so those she loved knew she was thinking of them. That attentiveness shaped friendships that lasted decades and reached even the youngest generations, where one great-grandchild remembered her simply as “a safe place for you to talk to.”

Her Christian faith was central to her life. A member of Calhoun First United Methodist Church and the Serendipity Sunday School class, Margaret began her days with devotionals and regularly sent them to those she cherished, carrying that ministry directly into their lives.

There were beautiful circles in Margaret’s story. She grew up along Techwood, and years later, family members would attend Georgia Tech to walk her footsteps in that very same neighborhood. She returned to college as a grandmother, and later, her own grandchildren & great-grandchildren followed her example into work connected to health and the healthcare industry.

Margaret is survived by her children Dawn Townsend; Dana Hammond (David); Greg Smith (WuShuang); John Olshefski (Sharon); grandchildren Brandon Townsend, Zack Townsend (Molly), Chelsea Fletcher (Jody), David Townsend, Taylor Whitham, Hunter Hammond, Ethan Smith and Hannah Smith (David); great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren Brody, Collin, Devin, Eden, Ella, Finn, Haydn, Jack, Jake, Lykan, Macaela and Makenzie; and sister Shirley Rogers. She also leaves behind grandchildren’s spouses and partners, nieces and nephews, extended family and many treasured friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Tony Olshefski; her parents, Virginia Hall Ballard and Davidson Fulco Ballard; her brother, Dave Ballard; son-in-law Jeff Townsend; brother-in-law Don Rogers; granddaughter Sherry Townsend; and great-great granddaughter Lainee Ivey.

Margaret spent much of her life learning that circumstances could change and life could begin again. By its end, she had become what she valued so deeply: a source of strength, belonging and home to those around her.

Her family takes comfort in the faith that sustained her and in the reunion she believed awaited her with Virginia, Dave, Tony and the many others she loved and lost throughout her life.

A service celebrating Margaret’s life will be held at Calhoun First United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 3, at 4:00 p.m., with Reverend Jeremy Noffsinger officiating. Visitation with the family will be held beforehand in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Margaret’s memory may be made to:

• Calhoun First UMC Memorial Fund, PO Box 517, 30303
• Dalton State College Foundation Nursing Scholarship: Link to donate will be updated in the coming days by the family.
• Rise Wellness “Rise Up” Scholarship for graduating high school seniors continuing their education in a helping profession, PO Box 323, Calhoun, GA 30703. https://www.daltonstate.edu/giving

The Brannon family and staff are honored to serve the family of Margaret Hall Olshefski.