Margaret J. McNaughton, who had owned an art placement company and was a former Roland Park resident, died of cancer Feb. 29 at her home in Shepherdstown, W.Va. She was 81.

Margaret Jones was born and raised in East Orange, N.J., and after graduating from East Orange High School in 1944, attended Smith College.

In 1948, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto and a master's in liberal arts from the Johns Hopkins University in 1979.

She was married in 1951 to George C. McNaughton, a career Marine Corps officer. The couple moved to Roland Park in 1974 when her husband was named office administrator at the law firm of Ober, Grimes and Shriver. He died in 1996.

Mrs. McNaughton established Art IV Enterprises, which placed works from 50 artists in businesses in Washington and Philadelphia, until closing the business in 1979.

She also had worked at what is now the Walters Art Museum and the Cloisters Children's Museum.

Mrs. McNaughton was president of the Smith College Club of Baltimore and chaired its annual book sale that raises scholarship money for local students attending the college.

Since 1986, she had been a resident of Shepherdstown, where she volunteered in several charitable organizations.

She was a member of Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church, where a memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. today.

Surviving are three sons, James C. McNaughton of Stuttgart, Germany, David B. McNaughton of Brunst, Germany, and Edward J. McNaughton of Charlotte, N.C.; a brother, David Jones of New Bern, N.C.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.