Marguerite “Peggy” McIntyre
July 21, 1935 – Nov. 30, 2018
Mrs. Marguerite “Peggy” McIntyre, 83, died on Nov. 30, 2018 at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer.
She was born on July 21, 1935 in Seattle, Washington. Her determination, intelligence and stubbornness stayed with her for 83 years, until she passed away on her own terms. Reflecting her sense of humor, she left this world on Nov. 30, about two hours after the 2018 earthquake, perhaps imagining she was canoeing in the middle of a choppy lake.
Peggy moved to Homer, Alaska in 1978 from the California Bay Area, cramming her two teenagers into her Volkswagen bug. Revealing her spunk, she moved her family into a small trailer way out East End Road, and several other structures before ending up on the North Fork Road in a large mobile home in the middle of farmland. She started a burrito stand, “Ay Caramba,” cooking up authentic Mexican burritos in her red and white trailer. She began work as a typist at Homer News when it was on Pioneer Street, moving into a one room cabin. She hauled water in from Fritz Creek, and enjoyed being in the country dodging moose and braving the mud holes and snow with her intrepid bug.
She later moved into Homer city proper and worked for Panoply Health Care, and then the Homer Medical Clinic as a medical transcriptionist, perhaps becoming the fastest typist in Homer. She also volunteered at the Pratt Museum and sold African artifacts in her constantly moving shop, Eclectic Attic. She had her own house built to her specifications in 2001, whereupon she promptly put up at least ten deep vegetable beds, roping her children into the gardening enterprise.
Computers took over her job, and she reluctantly retired to enjoy her garden, camping trips to nearby lakes and making turkey or chicken mole’ singlehandedly (always forgetting the chocolate).
Besides canoeing and camping, Peggy loved cooking, gardening, being with family, and especially music. She played violin with the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra, and was instrumental in starting the Suzuki method for young violinists in Homer, teaching young musicians at her home, and organizing concerts.
Long before moving to Homer, she married Eugene Dawson and lived in New Mexico and Wyoming, working as a ranch hand herding cattle, and living in ghost towns and other small desert cities. She completed college and took University courses in language arts before divorcing.
Afterward, Peggy demonstrated her grit by going to Mexico to restore ancient pottery artifacts, taking her young children with her. She put them through Mexican schools, and they settled in several small Mexican towns before landing in Mexico City.
A private ceremony will be held by family, and her ashes will be spread into Kachemak Bay to join those of her deceased son.
She is preceded in death by her son, Christopher Dawson; her ex-husband, Eugene Dawson; and her sister, Jackie McIntyre.
She is survived by her daughter, Katie Dawson; grandchildren, Valerie and Jessica Dawson; great-grandchildren, Harper Dawson and Michael Greene; mother-in-law, Laura Bogie; sister, Betty Burnett; and longtime family friend, Nancy Locke.
Her vibrant personality — and especially her mole’ — will be missed by everyone.
