LAWRENCE, Peggy (McGrath)

Age 83, of Addison, VT, passed away peacefully on April 21, 2024. Born in New York City, NY, February 10, 1941 to the late H. Thomas and Margaret McGrath (Cahill); Peggy grew up in Scarsdale, NY with her parents and younger siblings, Kerry McGrath

Denny, H. Thomas McGrath, Jr. and Maureen McGrath. She adored New York City’s glamour and energy and worked in clothing stores and as a model in high school and college.

She graduated from Scarsdale High School and Wheaton College in Norton, MA, where she made lifelong friends and met her future husband, John E. Lawrence, Jr. of Hamilton, MA. Her fondest memories were outside of the classroom and she loved telling stories from that, and every other, era of her life.

Following her college graduation and marriage in 1963, Peggy and her husband lived in North Carolina as he completed his military service. As the family expanded to include her two sons, they relocated to New York and Rhode Island before settling in Massachusetts, in 1975, where she spent the next 40 years. Each new home was an opportunity to exercise her gifts for decorating, entertaining and to forge deep friendships.

Peggy was a practicing artist who earned her master’s in fine arts degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston in 1984. Working particularly in pastels, charcoal and graphite, she used the landscapes of New England and the transformation of its small towns as very personal subject matter. She also worked professionally as an illustrator and as an architectural draftsperson.

Peggy had a knack for weaving her interests into her personal, professional and social life. She joined clubs for community and shared enthusiasm and often took leadership roles. She was a devoted gardener and was a past president of the Hamilton-Wenham Garden Club in Massachusetts and the Middlebury Garden Club in Vermont. She wrote plays for and performed with a group at the Somerset Club in Boston and she served on the Event Committee of the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, following her move to Vermont. She was a member of an investment club for many years and enjoyed hunting the markets for the next stock win. She loved sports, including tennis, skiing and even skydiving in college. Her weekly Middlebury Tai Chi class provided a new kind of challenge, forcing her to both slow down and communicate inwardly. She was up for any game or puzzle and she looked forward to Mahjong every Monday. Babies, dogs, the filet of fish sandwich at McDonald’s, a party, travel, books, a good bargain, chocolate and talking brought her immense joy.

She loved Vermont and appreciated how the community welcomed her when she moved there in 2016. She joined the Congregational Church of Middlebury and became a deacon. She also volunteered at the Ilsey Public Library, working at the annual book sale and participating in holiday decorating there and around town with the garden club. She was proud of her busy schedule.

Peggy most treasured her relationships with her family and friends. She is survived by her sons, George E. Lawrence (Cinny) and Nicholas P. Lawrence (Julie); four grandchildren, Ellie, Erin, Charlotte and Tommy; her sister, Maureen McGrath; and many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00AM, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the Congregational Church of Middlebury, 2 Main Street, Middlebury, VT 05753, with a reception following at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions, in memory of Peggy M. Lawrence, to the Charter House Coalition in Middlebury, VT, supporting the local community with housing and meals, at https://chcvt.org/want-to-getinvolved/donate/

Condolences can be shared, at sandersonfuneralservice.com