Margie L. (Hirth) Liberati

On Saturday, December 21, Heaven opened its gates to Margie, an angel with a heavenly voice. Age 85, of Sewickley, PA; formerly of Jupiter, FL.; Canfield, OH; Pleasant Hills and Uniontown. Beloved wife of 62 years to Anthony W. Liberati; cherished daughter of the late John H. and Wilma E. (Nieser) Hirth; dear sister of Carol Davis and the late Doris Weisenbacher; adored mother of Dayna (Guy) DiRienzo, Wexford; Carla (John) Brandon, Marshall Twp; Lisa (Dennis) Vith, Sewickley; Grammy Margie to Mia (Mathew) Olson; Macy and Anthony DiRienzo; Zoë Tracey; Johnny and Jessica Brandon; Luke, Noah and Elia Vith. Loved by many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Born and raised in Mt. Washington, Margie graduated from South Hills High School in 1952. Margie and her sisters performed throughout Pittsburgh and at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City as a singing trio, The Hirthquakes. In the late '40s, the girls were regulars on the Enright Theatre Kiddie Show, performing live every Saturday on WWSW radio. In 1949, they won first prize on the Wilkens Amateur Hour, a local radio contest broadcast live on KQV each week. They became television pioneers in 1951 by appearing on the weekly TV version of the Amateur Hour on WDTV, the predecessor of KDKA-TV, then Pittsburgh's first and only television station. Changing their trio's name to the Wilkenettes, the sisters were show regulars, known for singing the Wilkens E-Z Credit song. They also were regulars on the daily E-Z Ranch Gang program. When her sisters retired in 1953, Margie continued to sing the Wilkens E-Z Credit jingle on the daily show and the Wilkens Amateur Hour show on Sundays. In 1956, she was joined by sisters, Bea and Mary House and formed a new trio called The Petticoats. After making several recordings, they won the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout Show, which opened the door to performing in the nicest supper clubs across the country. The Petticoats opened for Tony Martin and appeared with Frank Sinatra and Joey Bishop at the Copacabana in New York and with Dinah Shore, Pat Boone and Rowan & Martin at the Medinah Temple in Chicago. They also toured with Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians and appeared for three years on his New Year's Eve TV broadcast from the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. Margie married Tony Liberati in June 1957 and retired from performing in 1961 to start a family. She became an avid golfer and was a member of Sewickley Heights Golf Club. She was a former women's golf champion of South Hills Country Club and Tippecanoe Country Club, Canfield, OH. Family and friends welcome Friday, December 27, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., Saturday December 28, 10 a.m. until time of service at 11 a.m. at WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE, 1650 Greentree Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (412-563-2800). Burial to follow in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mario Lemieux Foundation, Two Chatham Center, 112 Washington Place Ste. 1661, Pgh., PA 15219 or online at mariolemieux.org. www.slaterfuneral.com.