Margaret Ann Metzger

March 23, 1932 – November 24, 2025

Margaret “Peggy” Ann Metzger, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and lifelong East Lansing resident, passed away on November 24, 2025, at the age of 93. Born on March 23, 1932, in Lansing, Michigan, Peggy spent most of her life in the East Lansing community she cherished.

Peggy graduated from Michigan State University in 1954 with a degree in teaching. Later that summer, on July 6, 1954, she married the love of her life, Robert C. “Bob” Metzger, at the MSU Chapel. As Bob served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, the young couple lived in Oklahoma, Germany, and France. During their time abroad, their first child, Mary Ann, was born in Germany.

In 1957, the family settled in Schenectady, New York, where Kristen and Robert were born. They returned to East Lansing in the early 1960s, and welcomed their fourth child, Marilyn, in 1967.

Peggy was predeceased by her husband, Bob, and by her brothers, Frederick William Fabian, Jr. and John Robert Fabian. She is survived by her four children: Mary Ann (Gene), Kristen, Bob (Nancy), and Marilyn (Ricardo). She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren—Elizabeth Casey, Michael Schoen, Madeline (Andrew) and Joseph Metzger, Mariana and Cristina De La Garza—and her great-grandson, Harrison Casey.

Peggy lived a life rich with curiosity, creativity, and quiet passion. She had an extraordinary ear for music and possessed perfect pitch, allowing her to play songs on the piano after hearing them only once or twice. She especially loved playing the grand piano in the dining room at Independence Village, where she lived for the last eight years of her life.

A devoted journal keeper from an early age, Peggy filled decades of notebooks with reflections, memories, and observations. Her love of poetry and jazz—paired with a hint of beatnik spirit—guided her reading, writing, and her book and record collections.

She was also an enthusiastic supporter of the East Lansing Public Library. Peggy volunteered for many years with the Friends of the Library, helping manage the used-book sale area that contributed to the library’s programs and services.

Peggy enjoyed crossword puzzles with fierce dedication, often hiding the puzzle section of the newspaper so she could tackle it first. She never embraced computers, preferring instead her trusted collection of crossword dictionaries.

A proud member of Chi Omega during her college years, Peggy continued to serve the sorority as an advisor long after graduation.

Her love of reading stayed with her throughout her life. She meticulously documented every book she read, rating and recording her impressions in a dedicated book journal. She also delighted in her own form of scrapbooking—carefully clipping recipes, articles, and especially comic strips, which she assembled into themed notebooks that she joyfully shared with family and friends.

Finally, she spent many summers in northern Michigan, first at the Fabian family cottage on Higgins Lake, and later at the Metzger family cottage at Ram Nek Ranch in Waters, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Friends of the East Lansing Public Library. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 353, East Lansing, MI 48826. To donate money online the Friends recommend you donate directly to the www.elpl.org/donate-to-the-elpl/

Peggy will be remembered for her thoughtful spirit, her sharp mind, her humor, her music, and the countless ways she enriched the lives of those she loved. Her presence will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Services for Margaret will be held privately.