Margaret Johnston Quinn

1939 - 2021

Margaret Johnston Quinn
October 1, 1939 - July 2, 2021
Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Mrs. Margaret Mary Johnston "Peggy" Quinn was born October 1st, 1939 in Boston Massachusetts to John Robert Johnston and Mary Finnegan. She died peacefully on July 2, 2021 holding hands with her two children at her home in Chapel Hill.
Peggy, named after her maternal aunt Margaret (Auntie Tootie) and her mother Mary, was the first born of four sisters. She was artistic, musical, and a voracious reader from an early age; Gramma used to say she "always had her nose in a book!". She attended the Northfield School for Girls where she was in the Chancel choir, on the swimming team, and was a vibrant artist. She continued these passions throughout her life. Peggy attended Bates College, graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan, and then attended Yale Divinity School where she received her Masters Degree. One day, in study hall, she met another Divinity School student named Wylie. He was trying to drop a class, and took her on a date to pick up a friend at JFK Airport. "Van" and Peggy were married on September 9, 1967. They moved to Durham in 1970 and Peggy began working as a social worker for the City of Durham. After the birth of her children, Peggy began a long tenure working as the department manager of the UNC Art Department. She was an invaluable resource to students, faculty and staff, forging lifelong friendships with her colleagues.
Peggy and Van found their church home at the Chapel of the Cross, where they were vital members of the community for 50 years. Generations of parishioners will treasure the memory of her glowing presence in the choir chancel and her husband's service as organist and choirmaster. She was a colorful painter with a diverse range of subject matter. She painted beautiful flowers and illustrated children's books. Her most precious works of art, she would say, were her two children, Nathaniel and Molly, who, like their parents, are extremely creative. She painted a vibrant jungle scene when she was pregnant with Nathaniel and painted a dream of a little girl in a field being followed by a cute little dog when she was pregnant with Molly. She loved dogs and had many: Minnie, Felicity, Princess Leia, Dinah, Charlie, Buffy, to name a few. And for all of her many passions, she got the greatest joy from attending her daughter's performances and her son's art exhibits. To enter her house now is to walk through a display of their many accomplishments, the memories of which nourished her throughout her life. She would travel anywhere to support them and was a quintessential and enigmatic part of the many cultural events and receptions she attended. To be in her company was to be struck by her verbal and creative brilliance; she had a singular mind, unique in perspective, and rare in wit.
Peggy was talented, beautiful, funny, joyous, caring, and wonderfully generous to all she met. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, leaves behind her son Nathaniel, her daughter Molly, her daughter-in-law Megan, her future son-in-law Benjamin Sheen, her beautiful grandchildren, Molly and Ozzy, and her three sisters, Patty, Juanita and Jane. Her cousins and friends also surrounded her in love and light throughout her life, even during her last days on earth. Peggy's presence was profound, her legacy indelible, and her memory lives on in all who had the privilege of knowing her.
A memorial service will be held at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC on Saturday, August 7th at 11am.