Margaret M Southard's Obituary
Margaret (Peggy) Mary Southard passed away early in the morning on December 10, 2015 after a very short and difficult battle with lung cancer. She was 63 years old and is survived by her two sons, Joseph Segars (wife Sara) and John Segars (wife Joenlly) and five granddaughters, Casey, Shania, Chloe, Zaily, and Lily; brother Duke Southard(Barbara); sister, Patricia Murphy, Regina Morgan(Chris) and Rory Southard(Kathy).
Peggy, a free spirit, was born on September 21, 1952 and grew up in a small conservative South New Jersey town. If you knew Peggy, you know that she was far from conservative, in every sense of the word. When Peggy graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic High School, she leapt into the flower child-hippie lifestyle of freedom and bra burning.
Soon, she married the leader of the pack (motorcycle pack, that is) and moved to a large farm in rural New Jersey. You may know that Peggy was an animal lover, but did you know that during that time she owned horses and loved to ride? Peggy’s free spirit eventually became restless and she left the confines of the cold weather and farm behind for warm water and sunny skies of Florida. This is where she discovered a passion for sailing and met another free spirit, the love of her life, Spencer.
Peggy and Spencer were inseparable. They shared a common love of the water and a zest for life. After years of dating, they finally eloped. Every weekend together was spent on a different Florida beach, sailing Hobie cats in a racing league. Their sailing careers did so well that Spencer was invited to sail in a world championship race that took place on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. With an opportunity to sail in paradise, they packed their bags and headed to the South Pacific and called it their honeymoon. Tragedy struck, when they were snorkeling. Peggy swam deep into the water to “moon” her new husband. When he didn’t react to her antics, she swam over to him and found him floating. He had just suffered a brain aneurysm and died. Devastated, Peggy flew home alone.
Peggy started a new chapter of her life, alone and looking for love, once again. It took eight long years for her to meet a handsome man with two young boys whom she fell in love. The boys, Joe and John quickly stole her heart and became the family that she had always wanted. So proud of them from the very beginning, she referred to them as her own sons and the word “step” was never part of her vocabulary.
Rearing them into two strong men, she made them a part of every aspect of her life. They gave her the most joy that she could ever imagine, including making her a grandmother five times over. She spent family vacations with them in places like England, Germany, Greece, Spain and Hawaii. She shared her love of the beach, vacationing, and Jimmy Buffet with them; even trying to turn them into “Parrot Heads”. She lived by her own set of rules and instilled independence in them. Always willing to lend a hand, she taught them to be a supportive spouses, family members and friends. Most of all, she taught them that family has no boundaries.
Peggy’s free spirit, once again became restless just the other night. Her lifetime of journeys ended on this earth and she embarked on another journey without us. It’s just like her to beat us to the punch (or boat drinks, in this case). Surely, she didn’t want to be the first to get there, but if there is one thing that I am certain of… She will meet all of us at the Pearly Gates with open arms and a big smile! She may even have a boat drink or a cheeseburger (in paradise) to greet us with.
Special thanks to Peggy’s employer, Kim Kaszuba of Koch, Hoffman, and Kaszuba, P.A., and her office team, for their extraordinary support through her battle with this disease. Also, for the exceptional care of Dr. Ben Yan’s oncology team and Dr. Michael Gauwitz radiology oncology team. Both offered the most compassionate care any patient or family member could ask for.
A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, Dec. 29th, 10:30 a.m., at St. Jerome's Catholic Church, 10895 Hamlin Blvd., Largo, FL 33774 (595-4610). Refreshments to follow. At 5 p.m. there will be a Sunset Cruise in Peggy's honor at Hubbard's Marina, Johns Pass.
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