Margaret Jane (Peg) Gallagher, 85, of Brookhaven, Pa., passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, December 11, 2008, after a brief illness. Born on May 23, 1923, in Chester, Pa., she was the oldest daughter of Sara (Gray) and William Klotz. She graduated from Notre Dame Catholic Girlsʼ High School, Moylan, and, after taking courses at Sleeperʼs Business College, she worked at Blueline Transfer Co. for several years before taking up her full-time occupation of caring so well for her family. She led an active life, which included biking, swimming, aerobics, bowling, kayaking, tap dancing and yoga. From 1990 to 2003 she competed and was a medalist in Mastersʼ Swim Meets and the Delaware County Senior Games. An avid sports fan, she was an enthusiastic supporter of several generations of family athletes in swimming, baseball, basketball and football. As well, she nurtured the musical and artistic talents of many family members. Her volunteer workincluded working with Meals on Wheels and a school lunch program.A devout Catholic all of her life, she was a member of St. Robertʼs and Our Lady of Charity parishes. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Francis B. Gallagher; by her father, mother, brothers Donald and William Klotz, sister Ruth Culley, and dear son William Gallagher. She is survived by sons Barney and wife Mary (Milmont Park, Pa.), John and wife Aetna (Wallingford, Pa.); daughters Fran and husband Ron Shuebrook (Guelph, Ont.), Kate (Parkside, Pa.), Ruth (West Chester, Pa.), Maggi Powell (Wheeling, WV), Eileen Nelson and husband Mike (Aston, Pa.), brothers; Bob Klotz and Jack Klotz, (both of Chester, Pa), Jim Kotz (Troy, PA), and Paul Klotz (Schuylkillhaven, Pa). She is also sadly missed by 18 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.Calling hours will be on Wednesday, December 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Blessed Katherine Drexel Church (formerly St. Robertʼs) with the Funeral Mass beginning at 1:00 p.m.. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Judeʼs Childrenʼs Hospital, 1-800-822-6344.Arrangements have been made by Bateman-Allen Funeral Home, Brookhaven. Condolences may be offered at: www.batemanallenfuneralhome.com
MOM’S EULOGY
DECEMBER 17, 2008
First of all, let us thank God for the Gift that was our Mother/ Mom-Mom/Oma/ “Sister Klotz”/Aunt Peg or Friend Peg, and so on…. Whoever she was to you, she was a Gift from God….
When it comes to our Mother, a “life well-lived” doesn’t even begin to say it! She loved to eat, play and watch sports (especially when her grandchildren were involved), eat, bowl, swim, eat, ride her bike or walk instead of driving, eat, dance, do aerobics and yoga, then eat some more….She was ecstatic when she had a chance to be by the sea, walking along the beach, clamming, gathering shells and stones, diving into the surf and riding the waves, and giving herself over to the baking sun…
Until very recently, she swam like a dolphin whenever she got near the water. As one of the “Sea-Niles” synchronized swimmers, she had a perfect chance to indulge her passions for swimming, dancing, and music all at once… and as a Master’s meet swimmer, she got to tap into her competitive depths to challenge herself well into her later years as a medalist in the Senior Games. The spirit of everything she did was joyous and positive and the memory of her will continue to fire up our enthusiasm for living our own lives to the utmost.
Over many decades, she encouraged and celebrated the athletes, artists and musicians of the family. Our Mom taught us that it isn’t enough just to live and leave. As she always showed by example consistently over her 85 plus years, we’re meant to live to the fullest extent of our gifts and opportunities; to learn to be the best we can be; to love, even when it hurts; and to laugh loud, long, and hard whenever possible!
Mom used to say about her children that she had had eight individuals who seemed to have nothing in common, and, because it wasn’t obvious or automatic somehow, she had to teach us what a family is. To Mom, a family is a group of seemingly unrelated individuals, most of whom don’t even look alike, who often disagree over trivialities, but who cohere and co-operate when it comes to the Essentials, lovingly supporting each other in Good Times and in Bad; in physical, emotional, moral, and financial terms, standing together under a family flag of fierce allegiance.
She was the embodiment of the principle of Mother Love, and one of her most striking qualities was the ability she had to make us feel that we were special in our own ways. Each of us became a cherished individual in her sight, feeling loved and valued equally with all the other seemingly innumerable people in her life.
Her greatest gift to us—her family and friends—has been the gift of each other: through her life and by her death, she has gathered us together, and now we must honor her memory by making sure that the bonds of our love for each other remain as strong as they were when she was here to help us forge and sustain them. It was her job then and it’s our job now.
During the last weeks of her illness, she gave our family the privilege of caring for her at home as we had done for our dear father a little more than 2 years ago. Thanks to the support of Taylor Hospice, Mom was able to exercise a great degree of control over the nature of her dying process, to manage her pain, and to visit with her family and friends and say good-bye. The atmosphere in Mom’s house in these last weeks was so permeated with the Energy of Love. Each time the door would open to a visitor—whether family or friend—Love walked in the door, and as that visitor showered love on Mom, she gave back as good as she got and by the time that person left they were filled with incredibly more love than when they had come. For us who were caregivers it was so supportive—so sustaining as we were all swept into the flow created by this continuous loop of love.
As Mom gradually detached from the world and moved toward the peacefulness of Heaven, she had the precious blessing of receiving communion each of her last 3 weeks ministered by Father McFadden, Father Gustav and her own brother Jack. Each time she participated in the holy rite of this sacrament, she exulted in the awareness that she was, as she said repeatedly, “going home to Heaven”. Our mother was strong spiritually and physically in life and in death and we were in awe as we witnessed the courage she sustained in her remarkable passing.
For all of the time we knew her, she was energetic, loving, funny, gentle, kind and considerate, compassionate, lively, serious, curious, passionate, highly competitive, sensual, classy, sensitive, clever, intelligent, old-fashioned, well-mannered, inspirational, brave, strong-willed, intuitive, insightful, affectionate, loyal, honest, athletic, musical, thoughtful, dynamic, holy, wise, beautiful, vulnerable, articulate, nurturing, strong, pragmatic, inventive, resourceful, warm, dignified, lively and vital. She positively sparkled!
Mom was devoted to God, to our Dad to whom she had been a loving, faithful partner for 67 years, to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends and to her country. She was an athlete, a teacher, a dancer, a wise woman, a nurturer, an advocate, a mentor, a pal, a seriously big kid, a conservationist before it became fashionable, a good listener, a role model, an orphaned daughter, a sister, a widowed wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother…
And now she’s gone…. But only from this place…. Her Spirit lives on in our hearts and memories and in the stories we will continue to share. And we will always be comforted in the certain knowledge that we will be with her again one day in the Grace of Divine Light.
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