Margaret "Peg" Marion McDonough

She is predeceased by her first husband of 13 years, Lt. Col. Bernard “Bernie” Conklin, of Stony Point, New York, who was killed in Vietnam in July, 1966, and her second husband, James “Dan” McDonough, of 47 years, who died in November, 2021. She is survived by her four children, daughter, Jan Kodov of Spring Hill, Florida and sons and daughters-in-law, Scott and Genevieve Conklin of Port Kent, New York, Jeffrey and Heather Conklin of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Mark and Sara Conklin of Burnham-On-Sea, England; her two stepsons, James (Jim) McDonough of Salt Lake City, Utah and William (Bill) McDonough of Meridianville, Alabama; and five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings and brothers-in-law, Lynn (Meyer) and Rod Fauser of Collierville, Tennessee and Nancy (Meyer) and Alex Skavatsos of Houston, Texas; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Peg was born in Constable, New York, and attended school in Malone, New York, before graduating from Potsdam State University with a degree in teaching. It was at college she met Bernie, the first love of her life. She left her teaching job in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to drive her ’48 Plymouth to Tampa, Florida, to be with him during pilot training. They married in 1953 and enjoyed thirteen wonderful years together before his death in Vietnam. They raised four children and lived in nearly every part of the United States as part of the Air Force family. Peg loved to travel, and even during the seven years Bernie was declared MIA, made numerous trips with the children, both to Washington, DC, for POW/MIA meetings, as well as many camping trips with a pop-up camper and a fat poodle named Jacques, culminating in a 6-week adventure in 1970, where the family passed through twenty-seven states and Canada, enduring two flat tires along the way.

In 1974, after the death of Bernie, Peg married Dan. They met at the VFW in Keeseville, New York in 1972, where Dan was the founding member and Peg was giving a speech on POW’s and MIA’s. Together than ran the McDonough Funeral Home in Willsboro, New York. When Dan expanded the business to include an air taxi service, ever the adventurer, Peg took several flying lessons. After a successful two years, they relocated to Florida, living in several communities along the Gulf Coast before finding their dream home in Brooksville, which they shared for over twenty years before Dan’s death.During their time in Florida, Peg worked as a printmaker and real estate agent, before retiring from teaching after 35 years.

Peg never lost her sharp wit, sense of humor, or ability to laugh at herself. She read voraciously, and in retirement volunteered with various teacher’s groups in Florida, administering and grading placement tests. Her generosity and warmth to family and friends will be missed.

A gathering to celebrate Peg’s life will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, she requested donations be made to a local no-kill shelter or the SPCA.