Margaret Anne Smith

Peggy was born on August 27, 1940 to Gordon and Katherine Spezza in Albany, New York. The eldest of seven, she was raised in a close-knit Italian-American family. She spent her childhood in Albany, New York, Omaha, Nebraska and Spokane, Washington. Peggy graduated from West Valley High School in Opportunity, Washington, in 1958, and attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.

Introduced by lifelong friends, Peggy met her husband, Ron whom she married in 1964. They settled in Sacramento, California and went on to have three children: David, William, and Janet. Ron and Peggy remained married until his death in 1999. Peggy was involved with church and church youth group, PTA, little league, youth soccer, and scouts. She was a member of The Order of the Eastern Star and served on advisory boards for Masonic Youth groups. She was a volunteer at Project R.I.D.E. in Elk Grove, California. Later, Peggy served for many years as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon.

A chocolate fiend, Peggy loved Sees Candy and was known to have a box or two stashed around her house at any given time. She loved shoes, especially sneakers. With a supply of Cheezits at the ready, she was always prepared for something fun. She enjoyed sitting in the sunshine, gardening, and traveling. Proud of her Italian heritage, she loved genealogy research, sifting through old photos, and making traditional family recipes. She was always up for a game of Scrabble or cards. Peggy devoted herself to her family and friends. She was kind, generous, funny, and nurturing. She was Mom, Nema, Meema, Joe, Peggs, Uncle Peggy, Large Marge, and Mom Smith. She was a blessing. She is deeply loved and will be sorely missed.

Peggy is survived by her three children: David Smith (Jana), of Charlotte, North Carolina, William Smith (Heidi), of LaGrande, Oregon, and Janet Justiniano (Matt) of Parker, Colorado, and her eight grandchildren: Travis, Laura, Ron, Maggie, Glenn, Anna-Grace, Sofia, and Alessandra. She is also survived by her large extended family including her sister, four brothers, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Peggy was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald W. Smith, her parents, Gordon M. and Katherine Spezza, and sister, Rosemary Spezza.