Meet CDS alumna Margie Keck Smith, '92, and learn about her journey of reinvention
"Maybe my story will encourage other graduates to take on a challenge they never thought they could do with any kind of success." — Margie Keck Smith
When Margie Keck Smith walked across the stage at the University of Oregon in 1992 to receive her Master of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences, she was 47 years old, the oldest student in her classes. “I was treated with respect by all my professors and fellow students,” she recalls, smiling at the memory. For Margie, earning that degree wasn’t just an academic milestone; it was proof that it’s never too late to chase a dream.
Before returning to school, Margie had already built a successful career as a speech-language pathologist and elementary teacher in Canada for 17 years. After completing her degree at UO, she continued her work in Washington State for another 12 years before retiring at 59. But retirement didn’t mean slowing down. “I wasn’t ready to spend the rest of my life sitting in my recliner, watching TV,” she says. Instead, Margie embraced new challenges, physical, creative, and intellectual.
From Triathlons to Quilts
Margie’s first post-retirement adventure was athletic. A lifelong swimmer and jogger, she decided to try triathlons. “It was a no-brainer,” she laughs. At 55 and 56, she completed two 200-mile bike rides and went on to participate in one or two sprint triathlons a year for 12 years. “Winning was not my goal. Staying fit was,” she explains. Eventually, though, the training lost its appeal, and Margie looked for something new.
She found it in quilting. Joining a group called Hanging by a Thread, Margie discovered the joy of creating art with fabric. The group’s work earned awards, and one quilt was even purchased by the American Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, where it remains on display. But Margie’s creative renaissance didn’t stop there.
A New Chapter: Becoming an Author
Margie had never written anything longer than a clinical report, but stories began to take shape in her mind—stories inspired by her own life and the lives of women she knew. “Embellishing the tales was so much fun,” she says of her first book, The Right Thing, which explores how women navigated life-changing dilemmas of unplanned pregnancies. Encouraged by readers’ reactions, Margie kept writing.
Her second book, Frayed Edges, was pure fiction, a departure from her personal experiences. Then came Dust and Dreams, a historical novel based on her grandmother’s life in early 1900s Colorado. Today, Margie is working on her next project: the true story of an ancestor who walked across Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. The working title? One Foot in Front of the Other.
“Writing is the perfect retirement activity because it doesn’t require much of an aging body,” Margie says. Since turning 70, she has taken classes, attended conferences, joined critique groups, and made new friends. “My mind has had no time for that TV,” she jokes. “Let’s see what turning 80 brings. I can write from the recliner.”
An Inspiration for Alumni
Margie’s story is more than a personal triumph, it’s a message to alumni everywhere: it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Whether through education, fitness, art, or writing, Margie proves that curiosity and determination can lead to extraordinary chapters at any stage of life.
Her books, The Right Thing, Frayed Edges, and Dust and Dreams, are available in print and as eBooks on Amazon and other retailers. And as for Margie? She’s still writing, still learning, and still inspiring others to take on challenges they never thought possible.
References: Smith, M. K. (2026). Personal interview.