In this post, I celebrate the life of Margaret (Peggy) Loefflad who was recently welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven, and share words of truth, comfort, and love, safe in the knowledge that the essence of who we are lives forever.

The famous American poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves and immortality.”¹ Ms. Dickinson’s poem shares the story of life’s journey with its many twists and turns and then the transition to eternity where souls live on forever. Death is expressed as a “kindly” gentleman who leads the deceased to the afterlife gently and leisurely in his fine carriage.

This poem came to mind the other day when my son, Derek, told me his grandmother, Margaret (Peggy) Loefflad passed away. Peg was 86 years old, had been at Wesley Village extended care nursing facility for many years, and under hospice care for the past few weeks. So the news of her passing did not come as a shock. Still, when a loved one leaves this world there is a finality that encompasses those who are left behind.

We are left with a void, yet deep in our souls we know that nothing and nobody ever dies. Spirit and energy are forever, and before her later years when her body began to betray her, Peg – called Nana by Derek and my other son, Dylan, as well as by all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren – was spirit and energy personified. 

A professional registered nurse by trade and a caring, compassionate, and loving human being overall, Peg served as Director of Nursing and Administrator of Personal Care at Wesley Village for many years. My sister-in-law, Donna Jolley, was her longtime dear friend and leadership colleague, and Wesley Village was a well-run facility with a great team of people that always put its patients and residents first. Donna passed in 2013, and I can’t help but smile when I think of her greeting and hugging Peg in heaven.

The synchronicity of the universe was on display when Peg and her husband, Jack Loefflad, found one another. Their nearly forty-year marriage was a second-act for both, and if ever there were a ying and yang working together to raise their “Brady Bunch” his and hers families, it was Peg and Jack. It was like “Peg and Jack” was one word, since neither was mentioned without the other.

Peg and Jack moved themselves and their children – Sue, Bill, Kris, John and Jim – into a great home with a large patio and built-in swimming pool where Nana and Pop later played an integral role in teaching my sons how to swim. There were so many enjoyable weekend picnics on the patio and Sunday dinners that moved inside when the seasons changed. Pop loved to cook and Nana loved to bake, so the dinners were fantastic and always included a wonderful dessert. 

Pies were Nana’s specialty, and when she found out my favorite pie is lemon meringue she made me the best lemon meringue pies I’ve ever tasted. She always spoke about “eating your colors” and had everyone pause before digging in to appreciate the variety of colors on our dinnerplates. “Peggy’s Pies” were works of art, and the dinners she and Jack prepared were delicious and appealing.

Peg loved the black BMW she drove around for many years and she loved coming to have her dear friend, my sister, Marion Reilly, do her hair and then sit and talk for many hours afterward.

Peg and Jack loved to travel, notably going to Maine to enjoy the scenery and the lobster festivals, or to the New Jersey shore to spend some valued beach time with my sons. They deserved a long retirement filled with such adventures, but unfortunately Peg’s medical issues decreased their opportunities to get away.

Jack was always a faithful, loving, and compassionate husband and caregiver, and he worked harder than anyone could ever believe to keep Peg at home with him as long as possible. He always had my respect, but the way he cared for Peg and enabled her to remain in her home for so long was an example and lesson for everyone.

Peg’s mark on the world will go on for many, many years – through the subsequent generations of her family tree, through the nurses and other caregivers who learned under her tutelage and continue to serve people in need, and through her loved ones and friends who learned by example through her faith, and her ability to both lead and serve simultaneously while forever caring about those around her.

Peg’s daughter, Kris, called me a couple of weeks ago from Wesley Village and said that Peg wanted to talk to me. She got on the phone and asked me if everything was okay. When I assured her all was fine, she said “That’s good, then I don’t have to worry about you.” She made a similar call to Kris’s husband, Doug Hill, and also wanted to call her son, Bill. Later, Kris told me that Peg said she wanted to “talk with her boys” and I will forever remember and cherish that phone call.

We traditionally say, “rest in peace,” but I envision a grand celestial celebration going on up above, so I will simply say, “Godspeed, Peg. Love you and thank you for everything. My sons could not have had a better Nana.”

REMEMBER

◊ Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore, wrote, “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” The English poet, John Milton, wrote, “Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity.” The American poet, Walt Whitman, wrote, “Nothing can happen more beautiful than death.” And the legendary Italian artist, Michaelangelo, is quoted as saying, “Death and love are the two wings that bear the good (person) to heaven.”²

◊ The English poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, wrote, “Death is the veil which those who live call life; They sleep, and it is lifted.” And the blind American author, Helen Keller, wrote, “Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.”³

◊ The famous professional golfer, Walter Hagen, said, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” The Indian leader, Sai Baba, said, “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.”⁴

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases and appearances.

1. Dickinson, Emily; Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Lit Charts, https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/emily-dickinson/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death ↩︎
2. Various; Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/death-quotes ↩︎
3. Various; Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/death-quotes ↩︎
4. Various, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results?x=0&y=0&q=life ↩︎