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Court loses crusader for childrenBy CHASE SQUIRES © St. Petersburg Times, published March 6, 2001 DADE CITY -- Margaret "Marge" Pskowski built a legacy of caring for others, matching guardian ad litem volunteers with hundreds of children who needed a voice in the court system. Mrs. Pskowski, a fixture at the east Pasco courthouse and a relentless advocate for the program she embraced, reported some health problems last week and then died suddenly early Monday at her home. She was 60. "She's affected so many lives," said Pat Burke, a volunteer who worked under Mrs. Pskowski's direction. "It wasn't just us. She touched so many people. I'm going to tell you, she was a bulldog for the children." As a guardian ad litem, Mrs. Pskowski and her crew of more than 20 volunteers were the voice of children caught in the court system through no fault of their own, said the program's acting director, Eve Walker. "She never let anything get in her way. She was there to advocate for children, nothing else," Walker said. Her gift was not only in representing the best interests of children, but also in recruiting volunteers to help a never-ending stream of children since she accepted the job as Dade City case coordinator in 1992, Walker said. Last year the office helped 164 children through the system, Walker said. "Marge was a one-woman office. She did everything," Walker said. "She was the glue that held us all together," Burke said. "This is going to be a big hole. We'll try to plug it, but nobody is ever going to replace her." Mrs. Pskowski is survived by her husband, Walter; daughters Jodi McKendree of Zephyrhills and Dawn Pskowski of Dade City; and son James of Dade City. She grew up in Revere, Mass., and moved here in 1985 from New Hampshire. Oakley Funeral Home in Dade City is handling arrangements.
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