Margaret “Peggie” Waterman Hoyt, 96, of Milton, died July 13, 2023, at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born September 29, 1926, in Johnson, Vt., the daughter of Alice May Mills and Howard Waterman. Peggie never lost the sparkle in her eyes despite her illness, and her warm and loving manner persevered until her final day.
Peggie enjoyed 69 years of marriage to the love of her life, John Prescott Hoyt Jr., until his death in 2017. While she was in her final semester at the University of Vermont in 1947, John was able to put a ring on her ring finger, after getting special permission to marry from the dean at UVM. Peggie was a very attentive — often multi-tasking — and loving mother. She was very pleasant to everyone she met and garnered love and respect from many friends and acquaintances. Together, John and Peggie raised four wonderful children. Peggie was preceded in death by sons John P. Hoyt III “Jay” and Mark O. Hoyt. She is survived by her daughter, Margo H. Breen, and son Christopher L. Hoyt and his wife, Kelly Mullins, of Parker, Colo.
Peggie leaves three wonderful granddaughters: Mark’s daughter, Marsha, and her husband, Kevin McCombie, of Milton, and two great-grandsons, Sawyer O. and Crosby J. McCombie; and Margo’s daughters, Lindsay Hoyt, of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Megan Breen, and her partner, Thomas Cole, of Shoreham.
Peggie graduated from UVM with a major in secondary education. Peggie served on several boards and councils throughout her life and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega. She was also a member of the South Hero Congregational Church.
Peggie and John owned and operated Cold Spring Camp — eight housekeeping cottages on the shores of Lake Champlain and Eagle Mountain — which they purchased from John’s mother. They took great delight in providing a vacation ministry to 54 families every year, from 1968 to 1995. John and Peggie later donated 114 acres of Eagle Mountain to the Lake Champlain Land Trust for conservation, which was transferred to the Town of Milton per their wishes.
Peggie worked as a teacher’s aide at Champlain Elementary School in Burlington for several years when an opportunity arose to travel to China for three weeks as part of the first American tourists allowed into China. Peggie left her position at the school. She loved to travel and visited Russia, Egypt, Israel, most of Europe, Great Britain, Mexico, parts of Canada and most of the entirety of the United States. Peggie also was a 25-year member of the Eastern Star, Chittenden Chapter #59. She loved being part of this group until Alzheimer’s prevented her participation.
Peggie was proud of her hunter’s license and gun safety classes, even though she didn’t hunt. She was a great fisherwoman, and spent hours fishing with John when they first married. She was often in the garden, tending to her flowers or redecorating the home with the latest arrangement of furniture. Most of all, she always took the best care of everyone in the family.
We mourned her loss of memory as the years passed; however, she remained happy and joyful and was often the best dressed resident according to everyone at the Ethan Allen Residence. She spoke often of her childhood farm in Johnson and of her brothers and sister. She will be dearly missed by friends and family.
We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to the caregivers at Bayada Home Health Care as well as the Ethan Allen Residence staff for their continuous care, especially during the last week. Their efforts to ensure that we were all comfortable were appreciated.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, August 11, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at the Minor Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Milton, with the Eastern Star service immediately following.
Funeral services will be held the next day on Saturday, August 12, 2023, beginning at 11 a.m., at the South Hero Congregational Church, immediately followed by a procession back to the committal service at the family plot in the Milton Village Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Masonic Lodge directly across the street following the committal service. All friends and family are welcome as we honor Peggie and celebrate her life.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2023.