Peggy lived life to the fullest, her way. In remembrance,
here is a brief tribute to her larger than life spirit.
High standards. Peggy set
incredibly high standards for herself and not only achieved them, but often
surpassed them. She initially began taking college courses as a means to secure
financial aid during Melissa’s college years. Seven years later she walked away
from Oakland University with lifelong friendships and the title of
Valedictorian. Even when it came to something as simple as cleaning the house, there
was a high bar for what was acceptable. There were three levels: (1) picked up,
(2) half ass, and (3) clean. ‘Clean’ meant everything in the room had to be
moved and scrubbed top to bottom and underneath. In her mind, there was only
one way worth doing the job – clean.
Organized. At Peggy’s house, there is a place for everything
and everything was always in its place. Her organizational skills were truly
amazing. As a result, she knew how to locate anything and everything. To ensure
everything will stay in order in her absence, Peggy left labels and
instructions all over the house. Seriously.
Style. Peggy always dressed to the nines, even for her last
appointment at Karmanos. She was well known for being perfectly accessorized,
particularly for the hat collection she amassed over the last year. Her closet
is legendary – filled with every designer label you can imagine – every piece
procured at a bargain basement price or she left it on the rack. She never paid
retail. In fact, how little Peggy paid for things was something she prided
herself on. Fluent in all forms of the ‘deal’ – Peggy knew the inside scoop on
accumulating the most points, getting ‘on the list’ for coupons, attaining
elite account status, applying for the store’s private label credit card AND
how to use all of it in combination to get the best price. In some cases, it almost
seemed like the store paid her to
take the merchandise, with its own associates even assisting her! Peggy LOVED
telling stories about each and every one of her infamous bargains, usually
involving something she was wearing that day.
She shared the wealth. Friends that accompanied Peggy on her shopping
trips walked away with a PhD in how to be a smarter shopper.
Teacher. Peggy was full of wisdom and always ready and
willing to share with others. She was an incredible resource on almost any
topic imaginable. You couldn’t stump her. Need to clean up your credit score?
Peggy knew who to call and what to do. Need to lose weight? Peggy would pull
together a personalized diet and exercise plan (while
undergoing whole brain radiation, she took the time to give nutrition tips to
one of the techs at Karmanos). Have a pesky stain in your favorite sweater? Peggy had the perfect concoction to erase it. Need a plumber? A tailor? A banker? A hairdresser? Peggy had a friend that could help.
Perspective. In Peggy’s mind, the glass was always full.
Whenever someone expressed doubt or uncertainty around Peggy, her first
response was always “Why not?” She had
an incredible ability to be cognizant of the entire picture, but focus on the
positive. This enabled Peggy to make what seemed impossible actually possible. When
the kitchen designer told Peggy that there was no way to give her the kitchen
she wanted within the architect’s original plan, she took it upon herself to
rework everything. It took several iterations, but she eventually figured out
how to configure the kitchen ‘Peggy’s Way’ while staying within the budget. From
that point forward, she got more involved in the reconstruction project,
ultimately quitting her job to be at the house full-time, “assisting” the
builder. For those that have visited the house, what a successful partnership! Seven
years later, Peggy and the builder were still in close contact.
Connection. Whether you knew her for 5 minutes or 50 years,
Peggy left an indelible mark on every person she came in contact with. Her inner
circle was a collage of personalities, activities, colors, ages, interests, and
careers collected during her journey through life. Peggy was famous for connecting disparate
groups of people whose paths never would have crossed had it not been for their
friendship with her. In Peggy’s eyes, every encounter or event was an
opportunity to make a new friend. A perfect example is that of the local
exterminator. Turns out, Peggy was on the ‘unlimited’ plan to get rid of the
critters at the new house and they had spent enough time together to become
friends. Melissa was at home during one of his regular visits and was surprised
to discover that he knew as much about her life as a close relative. A close family
friend said it well, if you ‘bumped into’ Peggy at a party, and had never met
her before, you were going to leave that night knowing everything about her,
and she knowing everything about you.
Grace. While Peggy appreciated and enjoyed material things,
she never valued them as anything more than that. When accidents happened, she
never let the fate of material possessions phase her at all. While at Detroit Golf
Club one night for dinner, a large bowl of gazpacho soup was dropped all over
her soaking her hair, face and outfit. Instead of lamenting about her suit, she
marched right into the kitchen to ensure there would be no repercussions on the
wait staff. Peggy reassured the server with her oft-quoted line, “nobody died,
everything is fixable.” She enjoyed her dinner in a hoodie from the Pro Shop
next door. Similarly, when a red wine spill stained the grout on her brand new
kitchen floor, she shrugged her shoulders and uttered her other infamous retort
“it’s only stuff.”
Impact. Peggy’s KMA blog (http://peggysposse.blogspot.com)
is a poignant chronicle of her experience with Stage IV melanoma – allowing
every reader to feel like they were in it with her. Her willingness to bare it
all generated a groundswell of support that helped Peggy persevere through the
most challenging moments of her battle.
As we are learning through her blog, Peggy had an impact that
extends beyond those who knew her. We are grateful to the Anonymous author of
the following comment for letting us know that he/she was touched by Peggy. “While I did not know Peggy personally, I
was made aware of her situation (and, by proxy, this blog) through a friend
close to the Studzinski family. One thing that stands out to me is how Peggy is
always smiling and exuding joy in the vast majority of the pictures posted on
this blog. Blogs about a person's battle with illness typically do not emit
such warmth. In personifying the attributes of courage, strength, and hope, her
living memory acts as an exaltation of the human spirit. She embraced her
illness and did so with dignity and grace. Again, I never knew Peggy. It is a
testament of her inspirational fortitude and life that I am motivated to write
this. My deepest condolences to Keith, Melissa, and Andy.”
Perhaps Peggy was unknowingly inspired by Frank Sinatra, the
lyrics to his song “My Way” may capture it best:
And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course,
Each careful step along the
byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who
kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!
Yes, it was my way
