Margaret “Peggy” Terry

Margaret Joan Terry affectionately known as P.J. and Peggy. age 82 passed away Monday, March 17, 2025 in the comfort of Bob, Troy, Linda and Dominick.

Her mother Margaret was from Scranton, PA and her father, Frederick,  was from Hawley, PA. They met at Lake Wallenpaupack and married, December 25, 1941. Peggy‘s father was in the weaving industry so they moved to Newton New Jersey where Fred was employed in a weaving mill. Peggy was born in Newton on September 15, 1942 along with her twin brother who died at birth. A few years later, they moved to Scranton to find better employment and it was there that Peggy's sister Florence was born. The family moved to Clifton, New Jersey in 1955, where Peggy and Bob's paths first crossed at Number 10 Middle School. Peggy and Bob graduated Clifton High School in 1960.  Soon after, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy and Peggy was hired as a secretary to the owner of Blanchete Tool & Gauge in Clifton.  Several years later, she became the credit manager at Kem Manufacturing in Fairlawn, N.J. while also working part-time during the tax season for the Leibowtz Accounting Firm in Clifton.  In 1967, Peggy and Bob's paths crossed again at the Barn Restaurant in Wyckoff and their relationship grew from there.

Peggy and Bob married December 28, 1968, surrounded by friends and family in Clifton, NJ where they resided and worked, saving money to start a business or buy a home.  In 1971, Peggy gave birth to their son, Troy, and since he was such an easy baby (lol), a few months later, they decided to start their own business.  In 1972 Terry’s Trophy Shop opened on Route 23 in Wayne, NJ where it still thrives today as Hero's Salute Awards Co. (a name change made in the 90's to market nationwide).  With Peggy serving as VP and treasurer and Bob as President and Operations Manager, they spent days and nights working tirelessly in between changing diapers, to make the shop a pillar of the community and recognized all over the tri-state area as the source for LL trophies, engraving and awards for corporations and organizations.  After three years of blood, sweat and tears, the business was thriving enough for Peggy and Bob to buy their first home in Packanack Lake where they raised Troy and developed many deep friendships in the Lake Community.  

Also, during this time they built a cabin in the Catskills and spent many weekends there with friends.  They enjoyed the country life after a busy work week and Troy and his friends and cousins Tim and Jason were able to grow up the "old fashioned way" hunting, camping, fishing, picking berries and riding dirt bikes.  Peggy was an amazing cook and baker and loved using her skills to make family gatherings special at home, or entertain friends they brought with them for weekend trips to the cabin.  To say Peggy was well rounded would be putting it mildly, as not only was she an extraordinary home maker, cook and baker, but she was with Bob every step of the way risking it all and working tirelessly at the shop to build a solid business that not only served the community but provided a great life. When it came to getting ahead, Peggy worked relentlessly from carrying cinder blocks with Bob to build their Catskill cabin to doing accounts payable, receivable and everything in between at the shop while Bob took care of production.  When out of the shop, Peggy would flip the switch to packing all the essentials in by snowmobile or four wheel drive for a weekend cabin getaway or to throw a first-class dinner party at their Packanack home.  Peggy was never afraid of hard work, in fact, it was how she loved others.  When Troy left for college at ASU, Peg and Bob sold the Packanack home and moved to a beautiful custom log cabin in NY State for a few years, before buying and renovating a ranch style house in Montville.  Peggy took great pride in decorating their Montville home tastefully and filled it with a lifetime collection of beautiful antiques and memories of a life well lived.

During the years of raising Troy, Peggy and Bob closed the store during their vacation weeks, exploring the National Parks of the US & Canada. In later years, she and Bob visited Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, Wales, England and finally Italy.  Peggy also enjoyed visiting her beloved Aunt Bev and Uncle Jeff in Indiana.  Throughout adulthood, Peggy remained close with her sister Flossy, a relationship that continued right to the end as Flossy was integral in Peggy's support system while Bob managed her day-to-day care through her Leukemia battle along with Troy and his wife Linda.

Throughout the last 25 years, Peggy enjoyed watching Troy and Linda raise Dominick and took Linda in like a daughter with friendship, advice and unyielding support and love.  She also loved being a grandmother to her grandson Dominick which brought back great memories of raising Troy.  Throughout Dominick's childhood she enjoyed going to as many of his sporting events as possible, from Tae Kwon Do to football, baseball, lacrosse and wrestling.  Just as she did with her own son, she tried to never miss an event and was always glowing when talking about a game or achievement.  Peggy had one of her proudest moments when her grandson, Dominick became a US Marine after high school, just about the time she started her fight with Leukemia.   Despite her uphill battle for the four years Dominick was serving, her focus was always selfless, and the first words out of her mouth each day to Bob, Troy or Linda was, "How is Dom?"  

Of course, this is all just a very brief snapshot of Peggy Terry's life.  Peggy, was kind to a fault and would do anything she could to help any one of the many friends she was blessed with, many of which were friendships that have lasted since her youth.  She was a supportive, loving wife who epitomized selflessness helping Bob to achieve his goals, build a business, keep an immaculate home and allow him to live life to the fullest by following his passion for hunting from North America to Africa for decades.  Peggy will also always be remembered as an amazing mother, grandmother and mother-in-law who never failed to have a kind word, thoughtful advice, a shoulder to cry on, bold encouragement, prayers to Jesus, or, when necessary, a wooden spoon...  God has found another angel for sure.

Memorial donations to the Tunnels to Towers or the Wounded Warrior Project would be greatly appreciated.