If you’ve seen the movie The Keeper, or if you’re just a massive Manchester City fan, you probably know the name Margaret Friar. She was the woman who looked past the uniform of a German prisoner of war and saw a human being named Bert Trautmann. Their love story is basically the stuff of legend. But while Bert’s life—and his famous broken neck during the 1956 FA Cup—is documented in every sports archive imaginable, people often get stuck when they try to find out about Margaret Friar Trautmann cause of death.
It’s one of those things where the internet is weirdly quiet. You search for it, and you get hits about Bert dying in Spain in 2013 or their son John’s tragic accident in 1956. Finding the specific details on Margaret herself feels like trying to find a needle in a haystack of vintage football programs.
Honestly, it’s frustrating.
The Woman Behind the Legend
Margaret wasn’t just a "footballer’s wife." She was the daughter of Jack Friar, the manager of St Helens Town. She was the one who stood by Bert when thousands of people were protesting his signing because of his past in the Luftwaffe.
Life wasn't easy for them.
Think about it: marrying a German soldier just a few years after the war ended in England. That takes some serious guts. They had three sons together—John, Mark, and Stephen. But their world shattered just weeks after Bert's greatest professional triumph.
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The Tragedy That Changed Everything
You can't talk about Margaret’s life without talking about the death of her firstborn, John. In 1956, only a short time after Bert played through a broken neck to win the FA Cup, five-year-old John was hit by a car and killed.
It broke them.
Bert later admitted that Margaret never really recovered from that. How could you? That kind of grief leaves a permanent mark on a marriage. While Bert buried himself in football to cope, the emotional distance between them grew. Eventually, they divorced in 1972.
Margaret Friar Trautmann Cause of Death: The Reality
So, what actually happened to her?
Despite some of the rumors you might see on weird celebrity "death hoax" sites or poorly researched forums, Margaret Friar Trautmann died of natural causes. She lived a relatively quiet and private life after her divorce from Bert.
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She passed away in December 1993.
She was in her 60s at the time. Unlike Bert, who stayed in the public eye and eventually moved to Spain with his third wife, Margaret stayed mostly out of the limelight in England. She didn't seek out the cameras. She wasn't looking for a book deal. She just lived her life.
Why Is There So Much Confusion?
Part of the reason people struggle with the Margaret Friar Trautmann cause of death is because she shared a name with several other Margarets in the Manchester area, and because Bert married two more times. His second wife was Ursula van der Heyde, and his third was Marlis. When Bert died in 2013, a lot of the news coverage lumped all his "family history" together, which made it confusing for anyone trying to track down Margaret specifically.
Also, let's be real—the 1990s weren't exactly the "digital age." Obituaries for private citizens didn't always make it onto a searchable database.
Life After Bert
After the divorce in the early 70s, Margaret didn't vanish, but she certainly stepped back. She had her remaining sons to raise and a life to rebuild away from the stadium lights. Those who knew her described her as a woman of immense strength. You'd have to be, right? To deal with the post-war hatred, the loss of a child, and the pressures of being married to a global sports icon?
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It’s kinda sad that her own passing is often overshadowed by the "drama" of the movie or Bert's career. But in a way, the privacy she maintained in her later years was probably exactly what she wanted.
Remembering Margaret
When we look back at the Trautmann legacy, it’s easy to focus on the saves and the medals. But Margaret was the foundation. She was the one who taught a former paratrooper how to be part of a community again.
If you're looking for a sensational story about her passing, you won't find one. No mystery, no scandal. Just a woman who lived through some of the most turbulent times in modern history and eventually succumbed to the natural toll of time.
Moving Forward
If you're a history buff or a Man City fan, the best way to honor her isn't just by digging into her death, but by acknowledging her role in one of the greatest reconciliation stories in sports.
Next Steps for You:
- Watch 'The Keeper' (2018): It takes some creative liberties (as movies do), but Freya Mavor’s portrayal of Margaret gives you a great sense of her spirit.
- Read 'Trautmann’s Journey' by Catrine Clay: This is widely considered the best biography on the couple and gives much more context to their family life in the 50s and 60s.
- Check Local Archives: If you're ever in the St Helens or Manchester area, the local libraries often have better records of the Friar family than what you'll find on a standard Google search.
Margaret Friar Trautmann was more than a footnote in a goalkeeper's biography. She was a woman of grit who deserves to be remembered for her life, not just the way it ended.