Peggy Landfair Mangum

Peggy was born on July 4, 1948, in Washington, D.C., to Robert and Marguerite (Landfair) Mangum. She grew up in Arlington, VA, and graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in 1966. After graduating from George Mason University, she first applied her mathematics degree as an analyst at the IRS. She then took her financial acumen to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she worked as a financial analyst from 1978 until retiring in 2012. Peggy was committed to ensuring public housing projects had sufficient resources to provide safe living spaces to those who needed them.

In the spring of 1982, Peggy started taking guitar lessons from Herman von Bernewitz of Colangelo Studios and soon found herself thrust into the guitar section of the Takoma Mandoleers, a local mandolin-guitar orchestra conducted by von Bernewitz. That fall, the orchestra launched a 12-year exchange program with the L’Ensemble à Plectre de Toulouse and within months of joining the orchestra, Peggy found herself on an airplane headed for France, along with the rest of the orchestra. Peggy became an active participant in FIGA, the Fretted Instrument Guild of America, and performed at FIGA conventions with her ensemble, La Bella Sextet. She also played in other small groups and attended the Providence Mandolin Guitar Summer School in Rhode Island. Music has been one of the pillars of Peggy’s life. She was also a life-long women’s rights and pro-choice advocate, and LGBTQ+ community member, attending many marches and rallies supporting those causes throughout her life.

In the mid-90s, Peggy met Cindy Smith, the love of her life, on a ski trip. The couple shared thirty wonderful years together, skiing, traveling, and sailing. Peggy and Cindy spent most summer days sailing in the Chesapeake Bay or thinking about sailing and looking at sailboats. A highlight of recent years was sailing viXen, their 38’ X-yacht, up the coast to Cape Cod on a two-month trip.

Peggy and Cindy married at their home on October 8, with Winston, their neighbor’s dog, as their “best dog.” We will all remember Peggy’s twinkling eyes, her calm, considered voice and constant reassuring smile. She is leaving many friends behind and will be sorely missed.

Peggy is survived by her wife, Cynthia I. Smith, her cousins Kim Parkhurst, Ric Naylor, Marilyn Koblasz and Silvia Millard along with her huge family of choice, including Lori Boyd, Veronica (Ronny) Taylor, Jessica Taylor, and the Lukomskis (Janie, Izzy, Janna & Kyra), and many, many friends. She is preceded in death by her cousin Camille Engel.

Donations in Peggy’s memory may be made to The Mandoleers, checks may be sent to "The Takoma Mandoleers" at the following address: Darek Newby, 1414 S Pollard St Arlington VA 22204 or online at https://tinyurl.com/Mandoleers

Or to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. P.O. Box 97166 Washington, DC 20090-7166 https://tinyurl.com/PeggyMangum

A celebration of life for Peggy will be held Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Murphy Funeral Home, 1102 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046.