Peggy L. Gannon

Peggy, born Margaret-June Lutgens on June 13, 1918 in Sebastopol, California, died Monday, November 3, 2014 at 5:45 p.m., peacefully surrounded by family and friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Peggy married Thomas Melvin Gannon, Jr., (who preceded her in death on April 1, 2003) on March 15, 1943 in San Rafael, CA and had two boys ("My greatest thing in life."), John and William. John had two children James and April. April had a boy, (the first great-grandchild!) Francisco John Garson. John and wife Beverly are enjoying the first grandchild. James recently married Elva and is enjoying life and work in Idaho. After a few practice runs, Bill married Lisa Arciniega and they have three active children, Natalie and twins Lukas Tomas and Benjamin Thomas. Peggy went to San Rafael High School where she rode horses, played basketball and tennis, but went on to graduate from Dominican Convent School. She attended College of Marin and University of Colorado in Boulder, and Mills College for Journalism and to play on the tennis team. Instead of completing her degree, Peggy went on a cruise to the South Pacific. Peggy worked for her father's commercial banking journal Western Banker as a writer. Close friends were the Kendall's, Morrison's, Craemer's, and Bach's. Both Peggy and Tom had a deep love of large dogs and Peggy would often recite the names of her special companions: Gilligan, Smooch, Teddy, Cinders, Smokey, King, Crissy, Joey, Sam, Pookie, and Banjo! The sight of a dog always brought a smile to Peggy's face. Peggy was a writer and fascinated with traveling by ship, and especially to Hawaii. Family ancestors, the Kinney's, were early travelers there and became characters in Peggy's book Tracing the Steps based on a 1850's family diary of Maria Louisa Waldsworth. Peggy remembers her grandfather, James Morris walking to the stables at the ranch in Aqua Caliente, CA with the horses after she would arrive there with her mother and father from San Rafael. She loved the smells and the feeling of the place. On her father's side, her grandmother, Elizabeth "Lizzie", ran an ice cream parlor in downtown Sonoma. Her uncle, Adolf Lutgens, was an architect around San Francisco and designed the historical City Hall in Sonoma's town square. Peggy's father, Harry, was a newspaper and magazine publisher (Sonoma, Sebastopol, San Rafael; Western Banker), a director on the Golden Gate Bridge, president of the Redwood Empire Association, and personal assistant to California Governor Friend Richardson. He was also Director of Institutions under Governor Merriam, working to improve conditions in both mental and penal institutions in California. Following family footsteps, today Peggy's son, John Gannon, is an Idaho state legislator, who introduced a bill to allow the state to compete for contracts to operate Idaho state prisons, now run privately. As a writer and university professor, son Bill, has authored over 60 referred journal papers or book chapters and is involved closely with graduate student training. Fond memories include the cabins on the Russian River near Occidental, CA with friends Betty Grimm and George Richardson across the river from the Bohemian Club. As kids, they would spy on the dignitaries there and saw President Calvin Coolidge among others. When polio and flu were a significant danger, her parents, sent her by train to Eureka to spend summer time at the Dollar family (Shipping and Cruise ships) ranch near Blue Lake and Korbel, CA. Ships and traveling were a passion of Peggy's. Her first cruise was the SS Lurline (1932) that took her to Hawaii. Another cruise went to Havana, Cuba in the early 1930's. Her most favorite trips ever were those with her husband Tom and niece Judy to Hawaii and abroad. She would have loved to return to Hawaii. Her last five years (from July 18, 2009) of life were spent in Albuquerque with Bill's family and the very dear care, attention, and love of Rosanne and Jim Silva, assisted living facility. Peggy was deeply thankful to be able to live a mostly independent life with this wonderful family. Peggy is survived by her two sons; five grandchildren; one great-grandson; a niece; and a nephew; and lots of friends both new and old. Her long life was one of quality and purpose. She is traveling now on the greatest cruise ever. A memorial gathering will be held at the home of Lisa and Bill in Albuquerque, NM. Another service will be hosted by niece, Judy in Sonoma, CA. A final ceremony will be conducted near Honolulu, HI next summer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., (San Rafael, CA) or Hawaiian Mission Children's Society, www.missionhouses.org . Please visit our online guestbook for Peggy at www.FrenchFunerals.com . FRENCH - University 1111 University Blvd NE 505-843-6333