Rest In Peace Margaret Goll

Margaret Goll affectionately known as Mom, Peggy, Peg, Peg ‘O My Heart and “Leo” passed away peacefully on Sunday May 3rd, at her residence in Charlton, Massachusetts.

Peggy was born to William and Louise Hayes and was the oldest of their three children. She grew up in the Bronx where she met her to be husband Edward Goll. Many years later at a mutual friends’ wedding the flame was kindled and they became a couple. They married in 1951 and celebrated their sixty seventh anniversary shortly before Ed passed away in 2018.

Mom worked for NY Telephone until the first of their four girls was born (she must have washed and folded 50,000 diapers in the evenings as the girls were growing). When they were expecting their second daughter they decided to move to the “country” where they found their first home with a yard in Thornwood. It was at that house that a vegetable garden provided stock for Peg’s growing culinary skills. Peg also kept the basement freezer stocked with deliveries from Tony the butcher in the Bronx and she created amazing meals that fed the body and soul.  A great testament to her skills as a chef was the proudly stated phrase “Yes it’s homemade.”

She developed her love of sewing while helping her mom, who was a professional seamstress. After school Peg would help with finishing the garments her Mom had created. As Peg’s family grew the sewing machine was always busy (often late into the night) turning fabric that Ed brought home from Manhattan into everyday clothes and holiday outfits for the “Goll Girls.”

As their family grew Peg and Ed moved the family into a bigger home while they were expecting their fourth child. Dogs and cats in need of a home joined the family.  Peg’s taxi service supported Girl Scouts, horseback riding, volleyball, piano lessons, chorus, Rainbow, cross country, religious instruction, cheerleading, church, bake sales and countless trips to and from friends and college.  Peg taught us the value of friends as her friends and neighbors became our extended family. Visits and traveling dinners were frequent.  We learned to share their joys and challenges as we grew alongside their families.

Peg and Ed loved the water and were blessed with having two retirement homes, the first in Virginia surrounded by the Chesapeake and afterwards the second in Montauk when the summer cottage gave way to a year round home.  Beautiful sunsets over Fort Pond Bay from the deck with Peg’s delicacies and Ed’s cocktails was a favorite for with friends and family!

Wherever their home was Mom was always happiest when the family would gather together, to celebrate holidays, go fishing or just to spend time together. Peg was a dedicated wife and Mom who loved her family fiercely. She held us all to higher standards, academically, professionally, socially and morally.  She insisted that we all knew how to take care of ourselves and others, and also knew the importance of dedicating our effort to causes beyond ourselves.

She happily embraced her sons-in-law and grandchildren into the family and held them to the same standards. She was very wise and was not shy about giving you her opinion (usually in no uncertain terms). But we always knew that her opinion was her vision of what was best for us, and we were grateful that she cared enough about us to speak her mind.

Peg lost her husband of 67 years in 2018 and is survived by her four daughters and their families; Anita and John and their children Kimberly and Raymond and Rays’ wife Tory; Suzanne and Mace and their son Eddy; Joyce and Ken and their animal rescue family AJ, Otis and Wiley, and Barbara and her boys Matt and Christian.

Peggy will be missed dearly by many, but we know she is at peace with Ed in heaven.

Due to the health concerns in the world today, a celebration of her life will be held at the convenience of the family sometime in the future in Montauk, NY.  Mom was passionate about the intelligence, family structure and current plight of elephants.  We ask that in lieu of flowers donations in Peggy’s memory be made to Save the Elephants (SaveTheElephants.org) or The World Wildlife Fund (WorldWildLife.org).

Finally, the family would like to thank the Nurses and Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital in Worchester and all of the amazing nurses, therapists and staff at the Overlook in Charlton, MA for their professionalism, support and caring of Peg, Ed  and their family.