Margaret Elizabeth Nickel was born on July 24, 1929 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Master Sergeant Nelson and Margaret Nickel. Peggy graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1947, and attended nursing school at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, where she was a cheerleader for the basketball team.
Peggy met James C. Hershey, Sr. of Moorestown, NJ on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Peggy and Jim were married on September 23, 1950 and had four children: James Jr., Daniel, Miriam, and Thomas. The family lived in Riverton, New Jersey, where Peggy worked as a hospital nurse, a school nurse for Palmyra Schools and a Burlington County Board of Health nurse. The family relocated to Mesa, Arizona in 1973, where Peggy continued her career as a charge nurse at Mesa Christian Nursing Home, then as a school nurse at Superstition Mountain Elementary School. Peggy finished her career at The Phoenix Shanti Group, where she educated nurses’ aides to care for AIDS patients. After 53 years as a nurse, Peggy retired at age 74.
Peggy was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1996. She is survived by her four children and their three spouses, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, May 23rd at 5:00 PM at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mesa.
