Margaret (Penny) Wiederhold

September 7, 1937 - November 1, 2023

Margaret “Penny” Sayre Wiederhold, a cherished resident of King William, passed away peacefully on November 1st, 2023, at the age of 86. She was the widow of Michael Wiederhold, a renowned researcher at the UT Health Science Center, who predeceased her in 2015.

Born in Hanover, NH, to Captain Ford and Margaret Fischer Sayre, Penny spent her childhood at the Hanover Inn alongside her brothers Ford and Rob, and cousin Sarah. Following her father’s death during World War II and mother’s remarriage, Penny welcomed three new siblings, Drew, Lee, and later Ellen, into the family. They relocated to Colorado Springs in 1950.

Penny graduated from Marlboro College in Vermont and embarked on a teaching career in Boston and Washington DC. An accomplished skier, Penny served on the Ski Patrol, and enjoyed skiing at Arapahoe Basin, and across Europe during her semester abroad in Grenoble, France. It was during a ski trip that she met Mike Wiederhold, whom she married in 1971. Their son, Ted, was born in 1976.

In 1980, the family moved from Washington, DC to San Antonio, where Penny staunchly refused the advice of their realtor to look at homes in the suburbs leading them to find their cherished 1891 home on King William Street where she resided until downsizing in 2018. Penny was deeply involved in community affairs, serving on the board of the San Antonio Conservation Society and committees for the King William Association where she was instrumental in establishing the Kids area at the King William Fair during Fiesta.

Penny was a dedicated educator, having taught at Judson Montessori School and as a substitute at Brackenridge High School. She published several teaching books, and co-compiled the Summertime Guide to a Child’s San Antonio which ran in the paper for 10 years. Penny was an early supporter of “Say Si” and a fervent advocate for the arts, supporting and, rarely missing performances by the Olmos Ensemble, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, San Antonio Symphony, Camerata, and Classic Theater. She was also a voracious reader, never missing book club with her friends.

She generously merged her devotion to art and education by contributing to initiatives like the San Antonio Symphony League’s orchestra lunches and the annual student Paint to Music program where she judged entries and helped produce cards sold to support the program.

All who knew Penny will miss her generosity, love of music, art and literature, her astute, often pointed observations and humor. She is survived by her son Ted, daughterin-law Nicole, granddaughters Lilly and Anna, siblings Ford Sayre, Rob Sayre, Lee Strang, and Ellen Marshall, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Contributions in her memory may be made to Say-Si, the Olmos Ensemble, SA Philharmonic, or Cheyenne Village, the organization founded by her mother in Colorado Springs to care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.