Margaret Eppes

"[to Alan] I just want you all to be happy"

- Margharet Eppes, hot shot

Although seen in motion only once ("Hot Shot"), Margaret, Alan's beloved wife and Don and Charlie's much-missed mom, is a constant presence throughout the show, often invoked by her surviving partner when the boys manage to set aside their differences. Her photos are scattered around the Eppes residence, and mementos abound.

Her wedding anniversary was October 9, a date Alan elected to share with Charlie and Amita when their frenzied search started to fray their relationship ("Arm in Arms").

Margaret was a talented pianist and composer, well enough to have published several of her works. However, she gave up her career to by a stay-at-home mother. In particular, she had to take care of her youngest son who was a mathematical genius. She moved with Charlie when he attended Princeton University from the age of 13 and until he graduated at age 16.

Living away from her husband for the better part of three years took a toll on their marriage, but they managed to work through it without either of their sons being aware that anything was amiss.

Personal life
Margaret meets Alan Eppes when she is working for a tenants rights organization and he is working for a housing developer. They marry October 9, probably in 1969. She is in her last year of law school when they meet and is a gifted musician and composer. By the time she is in her early thirties she married to Alan and has had Don.

When she marries Alan she gives up a career in music to become a lawyer, though she still composes pieces up to her death in 2004 of cancer. She insists her boys to take piano lessons.

Her marriage to Alan is a happy one though there are tensions over money and jealousy. During this period, she accompanies Charlie to Princeton. Alan believes she understands Charlie much better than the rest of the family as she understands how his minds works.

She knows Alan will need a push to meet new people after her death and makes him promise to date.

Though the family was never very religious, Margaret did want to have a Christmas tree during the December holidays. She would often buy scratch-off lottery tickets and hide them in gifts, calling it a gift in a gift.

Alan mentions that Margaret’s Aunt Irene doesn’t like him.

Margaret has a locket that once belonged to her great, great grandmother. She asks Alan to pass the locket on to a daughter-in-law since Alan and Margaret never had a daughter to pass the family heirloom on. Alan gives the locket to Amita in late 2009 on what would have been Margaret’s birthday.

Personality
Margaret enjoys jigsaw puzzles. She is also very organized, and a bit of a pack rat.

Trivia

 * Margaret is given her first name in the season two episode The Running Man
 * Margaret first appears in the season two episode Hot Shot