Peggy Jane Locke

Mom’s born in Indiana, on May 24 1933 to Ethel ZeBelle and Merrill Smith, Mom was our Grandma’s youngest child. Born during the Depression, Mom spent the first years of her life living in a multi-generational home with her grandmother, who utterly adored little Peggy. Her parents divorced when Mom was just a baby.

In 1937, they left Indiana for Yuma, Arizona, and then on to Hollywood, California. Hollywood of that era was a place of trolley-lined streets and big dreams.

My sisters and I grew up hearing marvelous tales of those Hollywood years. Our grandmother was a hardworking nurse and a single mother, raising Mom, who was basically a latchkey kid. Oh, how Mom loved the freedom to explore! She had her Tuesday and Thursday "Potato Club." She and her friends, Rosalva BFF since kindergarten, would have all sorts of adventures…searching for found money to use for purchasing pickles or a sweet treat, playing kick the can with the neighborhood children…as they got older the fun extended to climbing the fences of the movie studios, meeting stars and exploring active sound stages. She loved her after-school dances—inviting the kids over, rolling up the living room carpet and pulling out ice-cold Cokes.

Mom often traveled back and forth to Muncie to spend time with her Indiana family, or to Silver Spring, Maryland, for visits with her father. She loved the train. She made friends easily and was often invited to share a meal or play board games with fellow travelers.

That is who Mom was her entire life. She loved people and would strike up a conversation with anyone she met. She was a curious soul, knowing one could always learn something new if you kept an open mind—she never shied away from an adventure so when you had an inkling there might be something interesting, you don’t ignore it—you lean in.

She was a voracious reader, because a good book could take you anywhere and everywhere!

Mom was stunningly beautiful: striking, with dark hair, snow-white skin, and big hazel eyes. She was often approached by people in the movie industry to consider acting or modeling, but while she loved the movies, she never had an interest in that world. She always said she wouldn’t have liked the misogyny of old Hollywood. Instead, Mom’s true heart lay in building a future home; and to become a wife and a loving mother.

In her mid 20s her lot would change forever—-It was besheret—destiny—how Mom met the absolute love of her life, our father, Norton Locke.

She was on her way to meet a friend when, in a moment of pure serendipity, she made an unplanned stop at The Tam O’Shanter Steak House in Los Angeles. A staff member mistook her for a job applicant and asked if she was there for the hostess position. Mom thought, "Why not?" and was hired on the spot. That spontaneous "yes" changed the entire course of her life. Dad was the manager, took one look at mom and said aloud, “Im going to marry that girl!”

In 1957, they were married in a small ceremony at Hollywood Temple Beth El by Rabbi Chaim Weinstein. What started as an unexpected moment at a restaurant blossomed into a devoted, lifelong partnership filled with deep love, family, and cherished memories. They spent 58 years together- just as in love then as they were in the beginning.

Dad’s work in the hospitality industry took them to destinations all across the United States. While I’m sure Mom wasn’t thrilled to move every few years, that was corporate America back then. She so adored Dad and supported his career advancement that she became an expert at packing, unpacking, and creating beautiful homes in each and every place. This, coupled with her gregarious nature, paved bright paths wherever they lived.

At various points along their journey together, the four of us came along.

As the eldest of four daughters, I saw firsthand how deeply Mom cared about raising us into strong, independent women. Peggy was a dedicated mother whose greatest role in her words “was instilling in us a grounded, curious and compassionate way of living.”

She taught us the sanctity of human life and opened our eyes to the wonderment of God’s creations. She showed us how to navigate the world with radical amazement and deep gratitude.

Mom was a force—a woman who rarely shied away from a challenge. She empowered us to speak our minds, stand up in our own right, confront injustice whenever we saw it, and never turn our backs on the vulnerable. Above all, she anchored us in faith, guiding us to practice our tradition with pride in exactly who we are.

Radical hospitality was core to who Mom was. She hosted magnificent dinner parties for Dad’s bosses and welcoming into our humble home some of the true luminaries of the hospitality world: Lawrence Frank, Walter Van de Kamp, Colonel Sanders (and yes, he did dress in the white suit!), Mr. Marriott, and we knew him, his son Billy. Mom was a marvelous hostess who set the most beautiful tables. But that same hospitality extended to all…our friends were always welcomed for dinner, an overnight if you needed a place, and even joining us on family vacations to our grandparents if a summer getaway was needed.

While mostly a stay-at-home mom and homemaker in our early years, as we girls grew and became more independent, Mom made her way into the workforce. Using her incredible interpersonal skills, retail was her preference. Over the course of her career, Mom spent many years with Federated Department Stores—Sanger-Harris, Foley’s, Macy’s—with each consolidation, mom was always the one chosen for the job. She was an outstanding salesperson. While not particularly interested in moving up the corporate ladder, she deeply understood customers and their needs, and was often brought in to share her marketing ideas with upper management.

Over the years, Mom was involved in so many activities: Sunday school teacher, Welcome Wagon, working on political campaigns, volunteering in our schools, and even serving a short stint as a Girl Scout troop leader. She spent many years in Sisterhood across a few synagogues during our U.S. sojourn, serving as President at Adat Shalom in Poway. Mom curated Israeli and Jewish cultural festivals in Oklahoma City and Poway, and managed the Adat Shalom Sisterhood gift shop for many years. She loved attending the Mart to find the finest and most whimsical items to sell, taking such immense pride in that little shop!

My sisters would never forgive me if I were remiss in mentioning that at home, Mom was famous for recruiting us into her many projects over the years! We—and Dad—often found ourselves drafted as her main labor force.

As Mom and Dad aged, they had the opportunity to travel the world a bit and enjoy well-earned time together. They delighted in the arrival of grandchildren and found great pride in the next generation.

When it became clear that Dad was showing signs of dementia, Mom and Dad moved in with my sister Jo and her husband Remy. They had a lovely life with the Arazis for seven years, but they were ready for their next chapter. Mom and our aunt, Deborah—Dad’s sister—started looking for a senior living community, and when they found Paradise Village, mom knew, this would be their place..

In Peggy’s classic way, she walked right in and announced that she, Dad, and Aunt Deb would all be moving to Paradise Village. That was in 2014, and they never looked back.

Mom had such a wonderful life here. From day one, she threw herself into the community—making friends, dreaming up new social activities, Art Walks, and Wine & Cheese gatherings at the "elbows." She enjoyed jewelry making, mahjong, political and religious dialogues, and late-night Rummikub. Working with Chaplain Harry, Mom helped expand Jewish ceremonies and services for herself and other Jewish residents.

When Dad passed in late 2015, and then Aunt Deb in 2020, we were a bit worried about Mom. But between her tenacity of spirit and all of you—her friends and her PV family—Mom moved forward with such loving support.

On May 24th, Mom celebrated her 93rd birthday. While physically she wasn’t as spry as she had once been, her mind remained sharp. She was still a spicy gal, full of pep and joy!

In speaking with Mom in her final months, she made it clear how very blessed she felt—how much she loved life, and how grateful she was to have had such a marvelous marriage with a husband who adored her each and every day of their life together and four daughters whom she found such pride—mom always said, we were her greatest accomplishment- to bring 4 strong, capable souls into the world. Who in turn blessed her with 9 grandchildren and to date 4 great-grandchildren.

While we would have wanted one more opportunity to say “I love you”, we know that mom is now embraced by the Eternal and all whom she has been missing.

Zichronam Levracha, mommy.

You will live on in our memories, our stories and through the lessons you gave us throughout our lives.