Margaret Patton Dalton

Margaret Patton Dalton, 88, died peacefully in her home of nearly 60 years early on the morning of December 10, 2018. Peg, as she was known to friends, was the youngest of three children (Jack, Pat and Peg) born to Jack Murray Patton, a civilian Army employee, and Elizabeth Cotter Patton. She was born February 17, 1930 and spent her early years living on-base at Edgewood Arsenal, now part of Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. She often spoke fondly of those early days, riding in a motorcycle side-car to school, helping her father tend his beloved gladiolas, swimming, and crabbing in the Bush River. At age thirteen, Peg was in the garden with her Dad when he died suddenly of a massive heart attack. It was soon after this that Peg and her mother moved “into town” to a house on Main Street in Bel Air. She attended Aberdeen High School with Dorothy Dalton, who lived just down the street, and soon found a surrogate father in Fred Dalton. Before long she met and also became friends with Dorothy’s three brothers, little brother Jimmy, and older brothers Ken and Leon, who were seminarians at St. Charles in Baltimore.

After graduating high school at age 16, Peg attended St. Joseph’s College in Emmitsburg, MD where she earned her teaching degree. With degree in hand at age 20, Peg returned to Aberdeen High School as a teacher. Among her teen pupils was Cal Ripken, Sr., a fun fact that she only learned many years later and after rooting for the Orioles hundreds of times.

In 1950, Ken Dalton took a leave of absence from the seminary to take care of his ailing father in Bel Air. It was during this time that the course of his life changed. He fell in love with Peg and the two were married at St. Margaret’s Church in Bel Air on September 10, 1951.

As this was during the Korean War, Ken soon signed up with the Marine Corps and became a second lieutenant. A year after the wedding, Peg gave birth to their son, Michael. The young family soon headed off to their first home on Top Sail Island, NC just south of Camp Lejeune.

After the war, Peg and Ken moved to Washington, DC where Ken began working for the Security Office of the US Department of State. They lived in a small apartment near Seven Corners with baby Mike, Peg’s mother “Dah”, and before long baby Tish. It was during those early days in the Willston Apartments that they met life-long friends Joe and Bernice Loftus.

In 1959, Peg and Ken moved out to the then-distant suburbs buying the brand new house at the top of the hill on Light Street. At that time, there was just a trench being dug where the now 10 lane capital beltway was built. They joined the young St. Michael Parish and became involved in all things St. Mike’s. They taught CCD, participated in parish activities, and especially important to them, embraced and befriended the priests that came to serve the parish.

For a couple years in the late 1960’s, after third and fourth children Teri and John were in school, Peg went back to teaching, this time in the fifth grade at St. Mike’s. She took a brief hiatus from 1971 through 1975 while she was home with her fifth child Kati. Once Kati started kindergarten in the fall of 1975, Peg would continue to teach seventh then eighth grade until her retirement in 1996. During that time, we estimate that she taught approximately 2500 students. Memorable moments include trips back to her alma mater St. Joe’s to see the shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, many Christmas pageants and speech contests, numerous math competitions, and student counsel.

She also spent many afternoons around the dining room table with a group of dear friends that formed an impromptu crafting group that Ken referred to as the “S&B’s” (for “stitch and b…”) as he prepared them coffee and treats. Summers were spent visiting Peg’s sister Pat and her husband Zim Lawhon and their thirteen children, then grandchildren, etc. at “the pond” and later at their house on Lake Wallenpaupack. Other vacations included trips to Ocean City to visit Ken’s brother “Smokey” or in later years to see him at Deep Creek Lake and then the Outer Banks. After Mike married Joanne Harkins in 1976, the Daltons gained a whole new branch of the family, spending a couple weeks each year at the beach with Jeanne and Paul Harkins, and their extended family, first in Avalon, NJ and later in Corolla, NC.

Sadly, Ken passed away in 1994. Peg continued to teach for a few more years and took solace in her growing family of five kids, their spouses, and a growing number of grandchildren. After retiring, Peg continued to participate in the St. Michael community, including becoming a member of the volunteer Lazarus group at St. Mike’s. For many years she went to daily Mass followed by breakfast and conversation at McDonalds. She loved to travel and had some wonderful cross country and overseas adventures with friends including trips to Ireland and Italy. When able, she joined a water-walking group at Wakefield. Most recently her passion was playing bridge every Tuesday afternoon with devoted friends. Throughout her 60 years on Light Street, she was blessed with wonderful neighbors.

Peg is survived by five children, eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:

- Mike and Joanne Dalton: daughter Kate (Rob) Bartolotta, and their son Andy; son Bob (Krystal) Dalton and their daughter Melody.

- Tish Dalton.

- Teri and Tony Ginster, and their sons Michael and Jack.

- John and Gail Dalton: daughter Mary (Michael) Rovito,

daughters Grace, Colleen, and Susan.

- Kati Schmuecker, and her daughters Alyssa, Megan, and Kelly.

Funeral Mass will be 10:00 Friday, December 14th at St. Michael Church in Annandale, VA. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 8:00 Thursday, December 13th at Demaine Funeral Home in Springfield, VA. Burial will be 10:00 Thursday, December 27th at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, VA.