Peggy Carol Hays

Peggy Carol Hays (Schakelaar) was born March 11th, 1954 in Pasadena California, first daughter and second child to Paul and Lovina Schakelaar. Peggy grew up in Southern California with her loving parents and three siblings, Paul, Terry, and Sheri. She attended Western Christian High School, and later received her Associate’s degree where she found a love for Astronomy.

After high school Peggy had many jobs, but her first job was at the phone company where she would meet her life long friends Laurie Dukett and Patty Albertini. However, some may say her most important job was when she worked with Sheri at Marie Calendars and met her adoring husband, Bill, who wooed her with his charisma, humor, and sense of adventure.

Peggy and Bill married June 12th, 1983 and spent the beginnings of their relationship traveling the world but finding a home base living in Guam. After having their first child (and favorite son), Nathan, they moved back stateside to Colorado. Nathan was followed by 3 beautiful, loving, gracious, hilarious, independent, and hard working girls (if they do say so themselves), Michaela, Cammie, and Claire. Peggy had always wanted to be a mother and spent her time raising her children and in this she found her true joy in life. She put all her efforts in raising her kids and working hard to help support her family. This was a very busy time in her life with homeschooling her children, to signing them up and driving them to their sports and activities, to making sure they were all loved and looked after, she did it all and she enjoyed every minute of being a mother and wife. While raising a family, she also took little joys in the some of the simplest things; quiet time praying with coffee in the morning, diy crafts from little treasures she found at goodwill, or “hand dancing” while having a lie down, music or not- raising her arms above her head and waving her hands like a hula dancer, and being in the water.

Peggy was drawn to all water, and loved finding it wherever it gathered. Cold lakes and streams, hot springs in the mountains, and of course the ocean. As many of you know Peggy was a true California girl who loved the ocean. If you didn’t find her on the beach, you could likely look out and see her head bobbing among the waves. In fact, the only time she didn’t at least dip a toe in is when she and Bill traveled to the north shores of Hawaii and the treacherous waves were enough to scare professional surfers that watched the waters crash down on the shore where they stood.

In 1995, Peggy and Bill moved their family to the small town of Wray, Colorado to be close to her parents and her best friend, her sister Sheri. Both of Peggy’s brothers would come visit Wray multiple times a year, bringing her nieces and nephews with them, and giving Peggy what she really wanted; memories with her family. Her older brother Paul took so much after her fun father and would always play catch and frisbee with all the kids, and Terry bringing joy and life to any gathering. While Living in Wray, Bill and Peggy found a loving community that helped raise the family and made lifelong friends. Peggy enjoyed a few jobs, her favorite being a teacher at New Life Christian Academy where they attended church and her children also attended school. She often said that if she could go back she would have loved to have been a high school English teacher, which is why we’ve taken so long to proofread this.

Bill’s passion for healthcare later took the family to the Front Range. While picking a new home they landed on Castle Rock for its scenery and, at the time, still a smaller town feel. Peggy and Bill spent many mornings on the back deck drinking coffee and taking in the Rocky Mountain views. Here she worked as a Shuttle Bus Driver, where many people who were struggling in their lives would confide in her while on their way to work, riding to the library, or just on because they had nowhere else to go. Her ability to create a safe space just by listening was one of her greatest gifts which she shared with anyone who needed it.

Although it may have taken a little longer than Bill and Peggy anticipated, the children eventually grew up and moved out of the house, where Bill and Peggy became empty nesters, and got back into a life of travel, adventure, and a couple new hobbies to boot. They spent almost every weekend in the summer camping with the Colorado Tiny and Teardrop Camper Group. These adventures brought Peggy many joys. Peggy and Bill were referred to as Mrs. & Mr. Gnome for having short stature within the group. Their small yellow teardrop trailer that Peggy named “Livin’ in a Hays” was their home away from home and she decorated it with homemade daisy curtains, which were one of Peggy’s favorite flowers. One of their favorite spots to go camping was along the South Platte River at Lone Rock Campground where you could find her, once again, full body swimming in the freezing water. It was also during this time that Peggy began her twice a year trip to hang at the beach for a week with her sister. This became their new “sister time” and something they both looked forward to.

When not traveling the country, Peggy loved family get togethers, especially when “all her little chicks had come home to roost”. Holidays, birthdays, or just because she always said it was one of her favorite things. She and Bill also found a love for gardening and landscaping their own little sanctuary in her backyard. Bill spent an entire summer landscaping and building Peggy a beautiful garden with the help of her children and her younger brother, Terry, who was always there to help bring her home improvement dreams to life. Peggy was especially fond of her flowers, spending endless hours planting and grooming; taking great joy in seeing them bloom and grow.

While this tells just a fraction of Peggy's story and her life with us, what mattered most to her, was her unwavering faith. Peggy’s moral compass was why she was who everyone turned to in a time of need and will always be referenced as her legacy. Peggy walked with the spirit of Christ. Everyone who knew her knew this about her. Her trust in the Lord carried her through her entire life and was what she clung onto as she passed. The way she loved the Lord gives us peace in knowing that she’s celebrating with Jesus.

In lieu of flower arrangements, the family would love for you to send seeds or potted flowers for "Peggy's Garden" at her home in Colorado. You may deliver your flowers to the funeral home at 211 4th St., Castle Rock or reach out to the family at [email protected]

We love you Mom, Peg, Sis, our Sweet Pegaleen of the western shore.