Margaret "Peggy" McKenna

Margaret "Peggy" McKenna

Margaret "Peggy" Elizabeth Mattox McKenna, 87, of Huddleston and formerly of Lynchburg died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at Bedford Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family.

Born, Feb. 2, 1923, in Huddleston, she was the daughter of the late Nathan Davis Mattox and Margaret Black Balfour Mattox. She was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Floyd Knight McKenna.

Following graduation from Classical High School in Providence, R.I., she received an academic scholarship to Madison College. She left Madison College during WWII when she was called to serve with the Chemical Warfare Service as the Executive Assistant to Colonel Herd, Director of U. S. Army Chemical Warfare Systems.

Following the war she and her husband returned to Lexington where he completed his BS at Washington & Lee University. After graduation they moved to Lynchburg where Peggy maintained an active life. As well as being a devoted wife and mother, she took great pride in her seamstress skills benefiting her family and community. Peggy believed the secret to staying young was an active life. She taught swimming and tennis; she also volunteered as a choir mother for 24 years for the children's choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church. She was a member of Mariners Landing Ladies Golf Club where she enjoyed playing golf with her dear friend, Virginia Purdy, until two weeks before her final illness.

Peggy is survived by her brother, Dr. Balfour Davis Mattox, of Falls Church; her sister, Ruby Mattox Klutz, of Mooresville, N.C.; three children: Joan Knight McKenna, of Leonardtown, Md., Kathryn McKenna Miller, of Boonsboro, and Cindy McKenna Baldwin and her husband, Harry "Pete", of Huddleston; eleven grandchildren: Camden Mosesmann, Carrie Patterson Toti, Ingrid Taylor, Knight Miller, Autumn Nesbitt, Summer Miller, Jennifer Mackowiak, Grant Burks, Walker Davis Baldwin; Christy Baldwin Johnson, and Debbie Baldwin Howell; and ten great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, at Fort Hill Memorial Park, Lynchburg.

A celebration of Peggy's life will be conducted at her home church, Patmos United Methodist in Huddleston at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, with The Rev. Dr. Carl H. Douglass Jr. officiating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: St. Jude's Research Hospital c/o Aplastic Anemia Research ATTN: Memorial, Dept 142, PO Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38148 or Bedford Community Health Foundation, PO Box 1104, Bedford, VA 24523 for patient care at Oakwood Manor.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the nurses, doctors, and staff of Bedford Memorial Hospital, Oakwood Manor, and Runk & Pratt Smith Mountain Lake Retirement Village at Westlake for all their generous care and concern shown to Peggy. With grateful hearts, the family extends thanks to Dr. Daniel Temeles, Dr. Eugene Lowe, and Bedford Hospice Care.

Arrangements by Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford (540) 586-3443. To send condolences online, please visit www.

tharpfuneralhome.com.