Colonel Margarete Ann "Mags" Vinskey

Colonel Margarete Ann Vinskey, United States Marine Corps (Retired), passed away after a life defined by service, intellect, and devotion to family and country.

Born on December 15, 1954, in Roswell, New Mexico, Margarete was the daughter of Captain George Vinskey and Margarete Vinskey. As the child of a career Air Force officer, she grew up an "Air Force brat," living in several countries and developing a lifelong global perspective that would shape her future career in military intelligence. Margarete graduated from Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1972.

She attended Wells College in New York before graduating from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 1976. She later earned a graduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Following her education, Margarete was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. She graduated from The Marine Corps Basic School and served her entire military career as an Intelligence Officer. Over the course of her distinguished service, she attended numerous military schools, including the Naval War College, from which she graduated in 1989. She rose to the rank of Colonel, earning the respect of colleagues for her professionalism, sharp intellect, and steadfast leadership.

Known to friends and family as "Mags" or "Maggie," Colonel Vinskey retired from the Marine Corps in 2005. Her commitment to national security continued with the Defense Intelligence Agency, where she served until her retirement in 2014.

She was predeceased by her father, Lieutenant Colonel George Vinskey, U.S. Air Force (Ret.); her mother, Margarete Vinskey; and her brother, Chief Warrant Officer Wolfgang Vinskey, U.S. Army (Ret.).

She is survived by her brothers, Lieutenant Colonel G. Joseph Vinskey, USMC (Ret.); Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vinskey, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), and his wife, Patricia; and Major Thomas Vinskey, USMC (Ret.), and his wife, Jennifer; as well as several nieces and nephews.

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