Margaret Marie Hott Zembower, 90, of Paw Paw, West Virginia passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016 at Western Maryland Regional Health Center in Cumberland, Maryland.

She was born December 12, 1925 in Cumberland, Maryland and was the daughter of the late Atlee Burdett Hott and Bertha Marie Durett Hott.

Margaret was Valedictorian of Paw Paw High School's Class of 1943, spent two years at Potomac State College and later took a job in the chemistry lab at the Celanese Corporation in Cumberland, Maryland.

On March 25, 1945, she married Droze Gerald Zembower, and worked as a substitute teacher in Laredo, Texas and Yuma, Arizona while he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

In 1947, they moved back to Cumberland, where Margaret worked at Rosenbaum's and as a teller at First National Bank.

In 1957, she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in education from Frostburg State College.  She taught business education at Allegany High School for 12 years, as well as chairing the business department there.

In 1961, she completed her master's degree in business education at West Virginia University, but continued her studies and later added 60 more credits beyond her master's.

In the late 1960s, Mrs. Zembower established the Department of Office Programs for Allegany Community College. From 1969 to 1996, she chaired the department, teaching office technology and expanding the programs there to include business education and medical and legal studies.  She was the first at ACC to attain full professor status without a Ph.D.

From 1986 to 1996, she also taught and supervised student teachers at Frostburg State.

Margaret was very proud of her career in education and was seen by her students and colleagues as a natural and gifted teacher.

She served on and was Vice-President of the Morgan County Board of Education for fifteen years; was President of the Paw Paw Library Foundation Board; President and Administrative Council of James Rumsey Technical Institute; Secretary of Mountain Community Health Center; Treasurer of the Allegany College of Maryland Foundation Board and President of Sheiks and Sheilas, Ali Ghan Shrine.  Margaret was recognized for her work in the education field, and was honored with the Governor of Maryland's Salute to Excellence in Teaching Award, Sanner Outstanding Teacher Award and Middle States Association of Higher Education Outstanding Educator for Higher Education Award.

Margaret enjoyed helping others and being active with her family, her community and her church, the Paw Paw Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband on November 5, 2001.  Two brothers, Richard Lee Hott and Charles Lloyd Hott, one sister, Ruth Naomi Hott Withers and one niece, Jennifer Lee Hott also preceded her in death.

Surviving are –

Three nieces -

Nancy E. Hott of Points, WV

Karen A. Hott of Grasonville, MD

Mary E. Hott of Berkeley Springs, WV

Two nephews –

Charles P. "Phil" Hott of Paw Paw, WV

Richard A. Hott of Centerville, VA

Ten great-nephews and nieces and eight great-great-nephews and nieces

And two sisters-in-law -
Dolores Hott Martin of Paw Paw, WV

Jacquelyne Hott of Annapolis, MD

The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 PM Thursday, June 16, 2016 at Kimble Funeral Home, 188 Moser Avenue, Paw Paw.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 17 at the Paw Paw Church of Christ with David Bradfield, Minister officiating.

Interment will be at Camp Hill Cemetery, Paw Paw.

Memorials may be made to the Paw Paw Public Library, P. O. Box 9, Paw Paw, WV  25434 or the Paw Paw Church of Christ, P. O. Box 421, Paw Paw, WV  25434.