Peggy Lee (Haywood) Carter, 95 1/2, of The Plains, passed away peacefully at home on August 18, 2023, with loving family by her side.
She was born in Fayetteville, NC in 1928. Peggy was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years Charles H. Carter, her parents, Archie Lee Haywood and Lois Stinson Haywood of
Bradenton, FL, and her sister Winifred Yoder Wingate of
Eden, NC.
Peggy is survived by her three children and two grandsons; Charles L. Carter (Anna Innes) and their son Brian, of Falls Church; Leslie Carter (Neil Selby) of Remington; and Jane Engvall (Bill) and their son Carter, of Alexandria.
Peggy was a truly talented artist, and loved to oil paint, draw and sculpt. After high school, she graduated from the Ringling School of Art, in
Sarasota, FL where the Ringling Circus would spend their winters. She greatly enjoyed sitting ringside and sketching the animals and performers.
She married her only love, Charles H. Carter on his 21st birthday in
Bradenton, FL. He had graduated from high school early to enlist in the Navy during WWII, and trained to become a Pharmacist's Mate. Upon leaving the service, they moved to Tallahassee in order for Charles to attend Florida State University. They lived near campus in a 10x12 foot trailer for six years, often sleeping outside on hammocks when it was very hot. Peggy worked as a secretary to the Dean of the English Department, and even though they had no money, she recalled this time in her life as a very happy one. When her husband graduated with his Master's Degree in Bacteriology and Chemistry and obtained a job with Army Chemical Corps at Fort Detrick, they moved to Frederick, MD. In 1957 they moved to Alexandria, VA where Charles worked at NASA, and later lived near the Fort Hunt/Mt. Vernon area.
Peggy was a stay at home mother, who worked part time in the school library while her children were in school, and later years in Alexandria and Washington DC at CACI, NASA and the National Endowment of the Arts after her three children were grown. In 1974 Peggy and Charles moved to The Plains, where they remained until their deaths. Their son Charles now resides in their family home.
Peggy loved any animal, and lovingly tolerated all of the horses, ponies, dogs, cats and the occasional cow or goat that was brought home to the farm. In her younger days, she was an accomplished equestrian, and in her fifties she enjoyed riding her Connemara mare Molly. She was an incredible artist, often just sitting and sketching. Since her ancestry is Scottish, for a few years she attempted to learn to play the bagpipes. She was a phenomenal knitter and created many beautiful pieces, a passion she shared with Leslie, Jane and Anna. She also loved crosswords, and would always do them in ink, and had an impressive puzzle collection.
Peggy had a brilliant mind, having studied while she was working in different departments at FSU, and was amazing at Algebra, and in English, Literature and the Bible. It was truly impressive the sheer number of passages and obscure quotes she would remember. Peggy was also a very spiritual woman, and knew her Bible cover to cover. She read daily from The Book of Common Prayer. She attended Grace Church in The Plains, where all three of her children were married.
A small graveside service will be held on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 10:30am at Quantico National Cemetery, where Peggy will rest alongside her beloved husband Charles. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed in Peggy's memory to your local animal shelter or rescue.