Margaret "Peggy" Thompson McNamara passed away peacefully on Monday, October 20, 2025, surrounded by family at The Mather in Evanston, Illinois. She was 98.
Peggy was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 24, 1927, to Lorin and Dorothy (Wright) Thompson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald "Don" McNamara; her parents; her stepmother, Amelia Thompson; her sister, Joan Libby; and her brother, Richard Thompson. She is survived by three sisters; Sylvia Dement, Ellen Montgomery, and Winnie Nielsen; and one brother, William Thompson. She is also survived by her five children; Elizabeth McNamara, Brian McNamara (Kathy), Margaret Gladman (Terry), Andrew McNamara (Robbie), and Stephen McNamara (Nancy); fifteen grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
As a child, Peggy moved several times, living throughout Ohio and Virginia before settling in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Virginia, earning a bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in science. After a brief time working in Virginia as a teacher, she moved to Chicago, where she taught at Francis W. Parker School before meeting her husband, Don. Together, Peggy and Don raised their five children, living first in the city and then in suburban Winnetka. Following Don's passing, Peggy moved to suburban Glencoe before spending her last years at The Mather.
Beginning in the 1970s, Peggy was heavily involved in civic activities, starting with successfully leading a protest to save the New Trier High School girls' athletic field from becoming a teachers' parking lot. She went on to serve two terms as a Village of Winnetka Trustee as well as in various capacities with League of Women Voters and Girl Scouts of the USA; in 1990, she completed a run for the US House of Representatives.
Over the years, Peggy was also heavily involved in ongoing educational pursuits, earning a master's degree in liberal studies from Lake Forest College and working in a range of roles in levels from preschool to graduate school.
While at The Mather, Peggy continued her dedication to service as a member of both the spiritual life committee and the budget committee in addition to developing her artistic and botanical skills and building friendships with both residents and staff.
To those whose many lives she touched as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague, Peggy will be remembered as a loving, caring, and nurturing person.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Winnetka Congregational Church, 725 Pine Street, Winnetka, Illinois.
An interment service for the family is planned for Spring 2026.
In her memory, please remember your favorite charity.
Peggy was born in Columbus, Ohio, on March 24, 1927, to Lorin and Dorothy (Wright) Thompson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald "Don" McNamara; her parents; her stepmother, Amelia Thompson; her sister, Joan Libby; and her brother, Richard Thompson. She is survived by three sisters; Sylvia Dement, Ellen Montgomery, and Winnie Nielsen; and one brother, William Thompson. She is also survived by her five children; Elizabeth McNamara, Brian McNamara (Kathy), Margaret Gladman (Terry), Andrew McNamara (Robbie), and Stephen McNamara (Nancy); fifteen grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
As a child, Peggy moved several times, living throughout Ohio and Virginia before settling in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Virginia, earning a bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in science. After a brief time working in Virginia as a teacher, she moved to Chicago, where she taught at Francis W. Parker School before meeting her husband, Don. Together, Peggy and Don raised their five children, living first in the city and then in suburban Winnetka. Following Don's passing, Peggy moved to suburban Glencoe before spending her last years at The Mather.
Beginning in the 1970s, Peggy was heavily involved in civic activities, starting with successfully leading a protest to save the New Trier High School girls' athletic field from becoming a teachers' parking lot. She went on to serve two terms as a Village of Winnetka Trustee as well as in various capacities with League of Women Voters and Girl Scouts of the USA; in 1990, she completed a run for the US House of Representatives.
Over the years, Peggy was also heavily involved in ongoing educational pursuits, earning a master's degree in liberal studies from Lake Forest College and working in a range of roles in levels from preschool to graduate school.
While at The Mather, Peggy continued her dedication to service as a member of both the spiritual life committee and the budget committee in addition to developing her artistic and botanical skills and building friendships with both residents and staff.
To those whose many lives she touched as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague, Peggy will be remembered as a loving, caring, and nurturing person.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Winnetka Congregational Church, 725 Pine Street, Winnetka, Illinois.
An interment service for the family is planned for Spring 2026.
In her memory, please remember your favorite charity.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Margaret "Peggy" Thompson McNamara, please visit our flower store.
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