Hi, this is Maryalice. I thought it would be fun to break up the subject of Megan's life into different chapters. So far in addition to this one, we have chapters entitled "It's Alll in a Name), The actress, Favorites, and Friends.
Megan, born Margaret Emily, graced the earth with her presence in February of 1932. During her earliest childhood years, she lived in Arizona enjoying the company of her big brothers Jay and Bill and little sister Alice Mae. When Margaret was six, her father died of complications following a recovery from TB and her mother moved to Los Angeles where her grandparents lived. She attended St. John's school and then Catholic Girls High. It was in high school that she chose the nickname Peggy. She solidified the change by not answering the nun who called out "Margaret"...and then adding "I'm sorry Sister, I've always been called Peggy." She left school when she was 16 to join the convent (ah not everyone knows that part) but left after having severe headaches that were misdiagnosed as a brain tumor but were actually impacted wisdom teeth. In any event, she finished high school, worked at the telephone company, and soon met her future husband, Don Whann, at a dance. He was 10 years her senior.
Peg and Don had seven children with an age spread of 19 years between the oldest and youngest. They spent the early part of their marriage in Torrance and then moved to Garden Grove in the sixties.
Don died in 1980, leaving Peg with two small children and the house, but no assets. Peg put herself in college and earned her bachelors and by 1985 had completed her Masters in Human Behavior and Organizational Development. She was hired as a marketing director for USF's adult degree program.
She contracted Encephalitis on a business trip and the next period of her life were full of personal challenges and changes. To provide income, she sold her living with friends and family. She was approached by her cousin, Emily, who invited her to Wyoming to work at a dude ranch. Megan took her up on the offer and the two set off on a wonderful adventure.
Eventually, back in California, Megan attended the massage school owned by Maryalice and after receiving her 1000 hour diploma (at age 65), she set out to find a community of her own. She chose Breckenridge, Colorado. She was hired as a massage therapist by the Spa at Breckenridge and soon had many friends. She loved her life in Colorado. She hiked, took cross country skiing lessons, snowshoed, found a church community, participated in community theater, and even sang in a choir. From the smiles on her face in the slideshow, it is evident that this was one of the better periods of her life. She was very sad to have to come down from her mountain when her health failed. However, when Mountain Megan became Mississippi mom, she had the opportunity to live with her youngest daughter, Maureen and two of her grandchildren. As she did in the other places she lived, she made new friends.
During the last week of Megan's life, many of her friends and family members left incredible messages on her phone. We would play the messages for her from time to time. We were grateful for the love that she experienced from you. In the end, Megan was not afraid and she felt complete.
"She hated the name Margaret (probably because Jay and Bill alled her marg-you-rat). When she was in grammar school, she decided on Meg as in Little Women. Then it was Margie from the movie "My Little Margie", followed with Peg from the song "Peg of my Heart". Before she settled on Peggy, she tried Mark after one of Dana Andrew's characters. In High School she gave her name as Peggy, which took." (quote from Alice Mae)
She kept the nickname Peggy for all of her married life, changing her name legally to Megan Duffy in the late 80's. The Duffy came from Mother Acquinas Duffy (the family relative she was named after) and she cleverly picked the name Megan to encompass the totality of her being...Meg and...
(submitted by Maryalice)
Son-in-law, Keith Luper reports that Megan had so many names that she wanted him to have a new name too. She came up with "Sam".
" She liked to organize "play acting" with Joyce, Barbara, and me. She wanted to be an actress and said it was good practice. OUr props were usually a punch bowl of cool aide and a loaf of bakery bread. We'd pick a location and time period (usually the south during the civil war) and make it up as we went along. The plot would get really intense with all of us sobbing at some point." (submitted by Alice Mae)
Megan got very involved in her life in Breckenridge, CO. On Oct. 13-14 she performed a scene from "On Golden Pond" in "Scenes 'n' Songs" presented by The Blue Spriits Production Company. The program (in the section about the performers) has the following: "MEGAN DUFFY has had a lifelong dream -- since high school drama classes -- of acting in a play. She put it aside for what she considered more 'adult pursuits.' Megan says, "Knowing the director gave me the courage to audition now. My sister and cousin have written me saying as children we 'play acted' together with me as actor/director, and they say I called our plays 'acting lessons.' My daughter remembers I invented stories using hand puppets. Working with this cast and Bill Hirsch for our scene ha been exciting, scary, and fun -- a life-giving and growing experience."
"...her all time favorite movie star was Dana Andrews. When he was going to be on the Lux Radio Theater performance of "Laura", the two of us took the bus to Hollywood to see him. There was a pack of teens at the stage entrance, and when he came in there was pandemonium. She screamed and swooned. I'd thought that swooning was faked, but this was the real thing. i was so embarrassed that I wouldn't sit by her on the way home, Boy, was I a pig." (Alice Mae)
Favorite Music: Pachelbel Kanon in D Maj
Favorite Color: Purple
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