Peggy Burke McIntosh Samotis quietly came to the end of her earthly journey on July 22, 2021, concerned for others until her last breath. Born the year of the Great Depression, she brought love, joy, and compassion to everyone who was blessed to know her. She is survived by her two loving daughters, Jean McIntosh and Angela McIntosh Daniel (Jim); beloved grandsons, Andrew Daniel (Christin) and Patrick Daniel; and her “heartstrings,” granddaughters Adeline and Ella Daniel. She was predeceased by her parents, Hilliard and Chessie Truluck Burke and all five of her siblings.
“Ms. Peggy,” as so many called her, was born in Conway, SC but spent the first half of her life in Sumter, SC. In 1948, she married her “tall, dark, and handsome” World War II veteran, “Mac,” Leroy Eugene McIntosh, who adored her. They loved and nurtured two daughters, involving themselves in their lives in the best possible ways, reminding them frequently to show kindness and respect for all of God’s children. As members of Sumter’s First Presbyterian Church, their faith was embedded in their lives and they took active roles to ensure that their daughters understood that they were part of a larger “family.” Peggy modeled for her “girls” a spirit of generosity, optimism and unselfishness that will remain with them forever.
She always was grateful that the late Mr. Rubin Brody, owner of the Capitol Department Store, offered her a job when she was only 16 years old. Admiring her work ethic and her way with people, Mr. Brody and his staff taught her everything they knew about the retail clothing business, eventually training her as a buyer. Her frequent trips to markets in New York City and Atlanta taught her much about the world and gave her a lifelong love of music, art, decorating and, of course, fashionable clothes. Before opening her own successful women’s clothing boutique, Peggy’s, in the 1960s, she managed Town and Country, becoming a leading business woman before that became the norm. She outfitted many a bride and saved many a marriage by reminding husbands of birthdays and anniversaries!
When she married her second husband, Colonel John Samotis, they moved to Fairfax, Virginia to be closer to the Pentagon, then to St. Petersburg, Florida, finally retiring in Lexington, SC, a town that Peggy came to love almost as much as she loved Sumter. Having joined The Episcopal Church, she became an enthusiastically active member of St. Alban’s in Lexington, serving on the Vestry and as Senior Warden. What she enjoyed most, however, was planning occasions to bring parishioners together, and quietly tending to anyone who needed a shoulder to lean on, a good home-cooked meal, a confidante, or just a friendly smile. Her kindness extended far beyond her church community. Family members can share stories of arriving at her home for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinners to find that she had also included one or more others, sometimes people she barely knew, who would otherwise be spending holidays alone.
A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in her eighties slowed Peggy down only slightly, but as years went by, advancing dementia began to take its toll. She moved to Wellmore of Lexington’s assisted living facility and then to their Memory Care Unit. There she was well loved by wonderful caregivers who became cherished friends, and she loved them fiercely in return. Towards the end of her days on earth, LiveWell provided compassionate sitters and Agape Hospice Care lovingly supported both Peggy and her family, who are forever grateful. Hers was a life well lived, not without pain or suffering, but it would be hard to say whether she loved or was loved more by those who knew her.
Services for Peggy Burke McIntosh Samotis will be Saturday, July 31 at 11:00 am at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Lexington, SC.
Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel is assisting the family, with special thanks to Daisy Harman.
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