Peggy Lou Young Littlefield

Family-Placed Obituary

In Loving Memory of Peggy Lou Young Littlefield Feb. 15, 1940 - Dec. 15, 2004 Our beloved mother, Peggy Lou Young Littlefield, passed away peacefully on December 15, 2004. She was loved by all. She had a zest for life, enjoyed living in the moment, and her energetic fun personality attracted many friends to her. She will be missed terribly by her family and friends. She was born in Hamilton, Texas on February 15, 1940. Her father, Teddy Roosevelt Young and her mother, Lula Irene Young, preceded her in death. She was as beautiful as she was ambitious. Peggy graduated as salutatorian of her Hamilton High School class in 1958, attended business school and later The University of Texas. Sponsored by her first employer, she was named Miss Transportation in 1960. Her career, while important, was always secondary to raising her three boys. She juggled a busy professional life while maintaining a loving and supportive home as a single mother. Her professional life began in Austin, where she was first employed as a secretary at the Texas State Department of Health. She was next employed as Secretary to the Assistant City Manager of the City of Austin and later as Secretary to Mayor Tom Miller. In 1969 she began working for Professor Roy Mersky, the Director of the Tarlton Law Library, at the University of Texas. In September 1970, Peggy applied for a position on the Texas Supreme Court and began working for Justice Jack Pope. Peggy served for 15 years as Administrative Assistant for Justice Pope, and then continued her service with Chief Justice John Hill. When a vacancy in the office of Chief Clerk for the Supreme Court became vacant, she applied for the position and was selected and served for 10 years. Peggy retired from that position in 1995 but was on call by the Justices of the Supreme Court where she filled temporary vacancies and worked for the Chief Justice Thomas Phillips and other Justices. Peggy did the ground work and maintained the records for a number of programs that improved the administration of Texas justice. She prepared the agenda and made the permanent records for the Advisory Committee of the Court that continually upgraded the Rules of Civil Procedure. She was the secretary for the Committee that wrote the first Code of Judicial Conduct. She maintained records for the newly created State Law Library and was the person who fielded wide-ranging requests for historical information about Rules of Procedure and the new programs that required continuing education for all Texas judges. After Peggy retired from the court, she began working again for Jack Pope and assembled his records of judicial service. Few people can say that they worked closely with more than 30 Supreme Court Justices, and four Chief Justices. Peggy once said, "Civilization is the accumulation of human achievement." Peggy contributed a fair share of those achievements in the administration of Texas justice. Her efficiency in the clerks office is a model that others strive to emulate to this day. Sadly, the retirement she earned in service to the citizens of Texas ended way to early. Peggy is survived by her three loving sons: Robert Murray of Austin, Ryan Murray of Euless, and James Hodges of Los Angeles. On behalf of our mother we would like to thank the Doctors and staff at Lone Star Oncology, the exceptional caring by the ICU nursing staff at Seton Northwest Hospital, Judge Jack Pope, Jim Hodges, Sr., George L. Murray, Jr., and a special thanks to Don and Judy Ellison for all their love and support. Memorials may be made to Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, P.O. Box 33172, Sarragut Station, Washington, D.C. 20033-9998, or to a charity of your choice. Services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 19, 2004, at Angel Funeral Home, located at 1600 S. First St., Austin, Texas (441-9738). Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (19th st.) and I.H. 35 (Comal St. Entrance, west side). There will be a reception following the services at Don and Judy Ellison's home. Please visit this obituary at angelfuneralhome.com