Peggy Wingate Benson

A Celebration of Life and Thanksgiving for Peggy Seastrunk Wingate Benson will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, which will be live-streamed and recorded at www.firstprescolumbia.org for those who cannot attend. Following the service, a visitation will be held in the church’s Jackson Hall. Burial at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery will be at a later date.

“Peg” passed into Glory on Saturday, April 6, 2024, following a period of declining health, including dementia that robbed her independence, but did not prevent her from continuing loving relationships with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many friends and other family members. To the very end, she expressed a good sense of humor, joy, a strong faith in her Savior, and was at peace.

Peg was born in Columbia, SC, on May 18, 1933, the only child of Frampton Jack Seastrunk and Kate Davis Seastrunk Shealy. She was lovingly raised by her mother Kate and step-father Quincy Jefferson Shealy, and remained a part of her father’s life along with his second wife Pan Williams Seastrunk. Many Davis and Seastrunk family members surrounded her throughout life, joined by Wingate and Benson family members. Through her step-father, Peg had two step-sisters, the late Elizabeth Shealy Derrick and Lucille Shealy Duke.

After an idyllic childhood filled with cats, dolls, chocolate pie, piano lessons, and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins, Peg completed an associate’s degree in secretarial science at Winthrop College. She began a life of work that would encompass family and church as priorities, and was first married to Jack Otho Wingate (now deceased), the father of her four children. From managing his CPA firm to later years working with various organizations, including being a realtor, and managing a children’s clothing store, Peg was a dynamo of creativity, style, spunk, and service. She met many life challenges with grace, faith and fortitude.

Her children called her “blessed,” and from a firm Biblical foundation, all were encouraged to accomplish God-given talents and career paths after their own idyllic childhoods of USC basketball travels, history tours, and other social and church activities. Once grandchildren started coming along, she assisted each new branch of her clan with childcare, taxi-service, solicited and unsolicited interior decorating, and she made the best biscuits ever…with no measuring.

At age 82, Peg married Wallace Irving Benson, of Manning, SC, a union sadly cut short by a brief illness. She carried on in her final years, still holding to her faith and being the matriarch to an ever-expanding family. With support of family members and angels of caregivers, Peg continued in her love of her well-worn Bible, cat Tippy (three-legged Maine Coon), black coffee, chocolate candy, the colors pink and lavender, her large doll collection, Victoria Magazine, Wendy’s cheeseburgers (no mustard), and an appreciation for all the Lord had done in and through her life.

Peg is survived by her first born: daughter, Vicki Wingate Wilkes and her husband the Reverend. L. Craig Wilkes, and their two children: George Craig Wilkes and Susannah Kate Wilkes.

Peg is also survived by her first son Kenneth Bryan Wingate and his wife Catharine Edwards Wingate, and their three children: daughter Miriam Wingate Ashworth (David Ashworth); Dr. K. Bryan Wingate, Jr. (Dr. Jeanette Wingate) and their four daughters Eliza Ann Wingate, Lillie Catherine Wingate, Jeanette “Janie” Norris Wingate, and Miriam Ruth Wingate; and daughter Catharine Wingate Halkyard (Dr. Richard Halkyard) and their three sons: Edwin James Halkyard, Matthew Henry Halkyard, and Samuel Thomas Halkyard.

Second son, Dr. Jeffrey Keith Wingate also survives Peg, as do Jeff’s four children: Jeffrey Samuel Wingate, Ryan Thomas Wingate, India Noelle Wingate, and Jack Daniel Wingate.

Peg is further survived by third son Gregory Neil Wingate (late wife, Melissa Burton Wingate) and Greg’s three step-daughters: Brittney Garrick (and family), Kirstin Burton, and Laura Burton.

From Peg’s marriage to Wallace, Peg is survived by his daughter-in-law Sarah Shaw Benson (late husband, Wallace Irving Benson, Jr. “Wally”), and by Wallace’s daughter Cindy McEver (husband Matt McEver) and their two children: Jonah McEver and Rachel McEver.

The extended Wingate family wishes to thank special friends Suzanne Long, Bobbie Oggs, Maria Gomez, Betty Pough, Louise Nazery, Valerie York, Yvonne Pinckney, Rita Harris, the staffs of Dr. John Gould and the Blake at Woodcreek Farms.