97 years young, passed away peacefully October 4, 2026.

Born Valentine’s Day, 1929, she was a unique force of nature and the last surviving of Jennie and Joe D’Agostino’s seven children, Angie Maimone, Joe D’Agostino, Marie Hedrick, Jay McNutt, Danny D’Agostino, and Jean Banaszak.

In 1979, Margie married Sol Balick, a loving and generous man, and they were together for 30 years until his passing. Margie greatly admired Sol and was proud to be a part of the Balick family.

Margie will be dearly missed and celebrated by her children, Babette (Babs) and Dave Racca, who were everything to her; her children-in-law, Kelli Racca and Herb Holyst, whom she cherished and admired; her six grandchildren, Marisa Ciarrocki, Chris Johns, Jack Racca, Jennie Racca, Vivienne Dobbs, and Emma Holyst, whom she loved dearly and who were always in her heart along with her grandsons-in-law, Dan Ciarrocki and Joel White; and Margie’s three great-grandchildren, Jimmy, Chris, and Joey Ciarrocki, who blessed her last decade with joy and wonder. She is also survived by her dear nieces, Maggi McNutt and Leah Brooks, and loyal dedicated friends, Carmi Lordi and Marie Perrone.

Always resilient, dynamic, and strikingly beautiful, Margie came from humble beginnings and hard work. Her favorite early job was as hostess at the famed English Grill – a prime Wilmington hotspot in the Fifties and Sixties. She learned shorthand/typing and worked as a secretary for local companies, including Hercules Corporation. To keep her family afloat, she often worked two jobs and sometimes three, including bartending and driving a school bus. Always forward-thinking and ahead of her time, she was the first female bartender at the renowned Hotel DuPont. She was a women’s libber, long before it became a movement. Later in life, she thrived as a Grand Opera House volunteer and loved her coworkers there. She celebrated her Italian heritage and made a mean pizzelle, so that the wafting smell of anise greeted any visitor to her condo as soon as they disembarked the elevator at Christmastime.

Margie always loved to travel. On one memorable trip, she visited Venice and convinced Sol to feed the birds in St. Mark’s Square while she videotaped so she could show her grandchildren (who loved Mary Poppins). In her eighties, after Sol passed, she continued to join tours all over Europe on her own, even riding a camel in Egypt just a few months shy of her ninetieth birthday. She adored music, fashion, dancing, theater, and a good argument. She was a fierce contender for the rights of individuals and a constant cheerleader for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Margie’s children, Babs and Dave, are sincerely grateful to the caregivers at Harbor Chase of Wilmington and Bayada Hospice for their care and compassion. The family is planning a Celebration of Life to be held at a later date. Burial will be private. Those who wish to make a donation in Margie’s honor could consider the Grand Opera House.