Remembering Margaret Solis and her passion for helping others
Dallas-Fort Worth broadcaster and KRNB-FM (105.7) on-air personality Keith Solis shared his memories and photos of his mother and longtime Carter BloodCare team member Margaret Solis:
My mother, Margaret L. Solis, was one of the first African Americans hired at what was then Wadley Blood Bank in the 1960s. She worked there until she retired.
She was supervisor at several of the Dallas satellite locations, including Methodist Hospital and Baylor Hospital, as well as the main location on Harry Hines Boulevard.
The blood bank was a major part of her life as she loved the people that she worked with. One of her best friends was also a blood bank employee.
I often remember hearing stories of their many ‘mobiles’ to places including Texas A&M and how tired they would be after spending a week on campus, but also about how many pints of blood were donated and how many lives it would save.
As I look back on her career, I realized that my mother’s passion was helping people. I believe that she played a major role in saving and helping the lives of people that she would never meet.
Nursing wasn’t just my mother’s job; it was her calling. Long after she retired from Carter BloodCare, she continued in that calling by taking care of relatives and friends.
One of her final acts the week before her passing was taking care of a family member who had just had major surgery.
My mother passed on June 19, 2020 at the age of 84.
Margaret Solis worked with Carter BloodCare and the blood banking community for more than 35 years. She was admired for her professionalism, kindness, enthusiasm and dedication. Her contributions and service impacted countless lives across Texas and beyond.