Margaret Ann Persico

Margaret (Peggy) Ann Whitehead Persico, 82, of Manchester, NJ, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 14th, 2024, as our forever valentine. Her devoted husband, children, and grandchildren were by her side the entire way.

Born in 1941, Peggy grew up in Jersey City, NJ as one of thirteen children born to Herbert and Catherine Whitehead (Leahy). She met her loving husband, Reynold, as young kids playing stick ball on Charles Street, and they married in January of 1963. They moved to North Bergen, NJ before they settled in Paramus, NJ with their three children Lisa (husband, Martin), Craig, and Nicole (husband, Joe).

She worked her entire life babysitting at 11, managing the Five and Dime in her teen years, and finished her career as a lighting consultant with United Lighting & Electrical Group in 2007. Her example of work ethic was second best to the immense amount of love that she shared with her grandchildren, who lovingly call her Nanny. She will be loved forever by Alexa (husband, Alexander), Arielle, Ian (fiancé, Nurije), Christina (fiancé, RJ), Adrianna, Sofia, James, Corinne (husband, Colton), Tyler and her precious great-granddaughter, Theodora.

She was generous beyond compare with her time and resources. She never missed a fundraiser her grandchildren were involved in, often winning many of the prizes due to the number of tickets she amassed with her donations. An avid reader she taught us the love of books and would often leave books she read on the park bench at her Jupiter, FL condo for other residents to enjoy. She found a love of cooking in her retirement that we all benefitted from. She would find recipes she knew we would love and make them even if she sneaked a PB&J for herself instead. You could always count on her to bring a bonus lasagna to any get together. No one went hungry at Nanny’s house.

She was deeply loved by her pre-deceased siblings Herbert, Joseph, Thomas, Dorothea, Robert, Catherine, James, Geraldine, Bernice, Gerald, and Veronica, her surviving sister Marie, brothers and sisters-in-law, many nieces and nephews, and friends both near and far.

Her life will be celebrated at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood, NJ on Monday, February 19 between 4-8 PM. A funeral mass will be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Hillsdale, NJ on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 10 AM followed by an entombment at Garden of Memories in Washington Township, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in memory of Margaret Persico and Tunnel to Towers Foundation.