Mary "Peggy" Ross Blake

Peggy was born June 5, 1924, in a small village in the mountains of southwestern Virginia between Salem and Roanoke, known as Lafayette. Her parents were William C Ross, Stuart, VA and Elva W Ross, Bluff City, TN.

She was a graduate of Shawsville High School, where she played on the basketball team coached by Mr. Fred Zircle. She then earned her nursing degree at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, VA. After graduation she enrolled as an Army Nurse Cadet and was in training in Jackson, Mississippi. However, the WW II ended so she returned to her home in Virginia, eventually working at Radford Hospital in Radford, Virginia.

On a blind date she met her husband, George Howard Blake, JR of Wenonah, NJ, shortly after he had returned from serving in the Army-Air Force to finish his education at Virginia Tech (VPI) as a mechanical engineer.

Upon his graduation, they moved to Alcoa, TN where he was employed with Alcoa Aluminum Company. There they had their three children, Bill, Brenda and David. From Alcoa they were transferred to several locations including Pittsburg, Australia, Massena, NY, Suriname, South America, Holland and then eventually retired to Statesville, NC.

She is survived by Bill (George William) who lives with his wife, Bettie, in Omaha, NE. Their son, Andrew, and wife, Gwen, live in Traverse City, MI. Their daughter, Jennifer, resides in Grapevine, TX.

Her daughter whom she lived with, Brenda Lawrence, lives in Fort Worth, TX as does her grandson, Steven Lawrence.

David and his wife, Diane, reside in Trinity, NC. Their son, Brad lives in the Greensboro area. Daughter, Samantha and husband Brandon Hicks, along with their children, Harrison and Henry live in Charlotte as does their son, Ross.

Three of her special friends are Heather Barling, whom she considered her Aussie daughter; Hazel Pullium, who was like a daughter as well; and Helen Paddock, a lifelong friend.

She is preceded by her beloved husband, George; her parents, Bill and Elva; and her son-in-law, Charles Lawrence.

Peggy was a devoted wife, loving mother and a loyal friend and will be missed by all.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, April 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Shannon Rufe Snow Funeral Chapel. She will later be laid to rest beside her beloved husband in the Oakwood Cemetery, in Statesville, NC.