Obituary of Margaret T. George

Margaret T. George, age 96, of Hawley died Thursday, March 20, 2014 at home. She was preceded in death by her husband, David Lewellyn George, on March 27, 2004. Peggy George was born June 1, 1917, in South Orange, NJ, the daughter of the late Russell W. Trimpi and Hilda (Hulse) Trimpi. A graduate of Dana Hall in Wellesley, MA, and the Katherine Gibbs School, New York, NY, Peggy took up bridge as an adolescent and played at a highly competitive level well into her 90's. She was a longtime member of the American Contract Bridge League and the Honesdale Duplicate Bridge Group. Peggy was a lifelong lover of and advocate for all animals. As a young woman she bred and showed Great Danes. She was a horsewoman as well, having ridden with the Essex County Hunt Club and the hunt club on Nantucket Island. Over the years her pets included tropical fish, turtles,quail, pigeons, an armadillo ("They make terrible pets!"), a skunk, squirrels, and many dogs. At the time of her death, her household included her beloved toy poodle Hannah, Kitty Cat, a stray she had rescued as a kitten, and Love Dove, a pet dove. Peggy served her country during World War II as a driver for the Red Cross in New Jersey. David, also a resident of South Orange and a serious bridge player, proposed to her shortly after returning from military service. The couple married in 1946. David, who was an avid hunter and fisherman, loved bringing the family to the Trimpi camp outside Hawley weekends and summers. During those visits Peggy taught her boys and any other children around all about nature in the Pennsylvania woods. Peggy and David left Pelham, NY, to live full-time in Hawley upon his retirement from the International Paper Company. The couple had three sons, David L. Jr., Russell T., and William T. George, all of whom preceded them in death. She is survived by two daughters-in-law: Susann P. George of Hawley and Lindsay Barrett George of White Mills; four grandchildren: Russell T. George, Jr. of Hawley, Matthew S. George and his wife Jessica Ann (Foster) of Hawley, William T. George, Jr. of Washington, DC, and Campbell Barrett Kawka and her husband Ernest of Geneva, Switzerland; two great grandchildren: Zachary M. Meling and Natalie Ann George, both of Hawley; three nephews: John Trimpi, Michael Barrett, and Rick Trimpi; and two nieces: Robin B. Mechem and Jane Trimpi Kiesel. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 PM on Monday, May 5, at Hawley United Methodist Church, 315 Church St., Hawley, PA 18428. Visitation will be at the church from 1 to 2 PM. Private cremation was held at Lake Region Crematory, Lake Ariel. Memorials may be made to Hawley Public Library, 103 Main Ave., Hawley, PA 18428; NEPA Audubon Society, 600 Park St., Honesdale, PA 18431 or www.nepaaudubon.org; Hospice Of Sacred Heart, 340 Montage Mountain Rd, Moosic, PA 18507; Hawk Mountain, 1700 Hawk Mountain Rd., Kempton, PA 19529 or www.hawkmountain.org.