Margaret Ann "Peggy" O'Hara

Margaret Ann “Peggy” O’Hara died on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, she was 86.

Peggy was born March 14, 1936, the sixth of what would become a family of seven children. She spent her childhood in Greenfield Hill dreaming of the Big Apple. She caught the first train she could, and spent the majority of her life in the city while maintaining deep roots in Fairfield.

She began her career at General Electric where she and her sister Alice both worked and had a ball. The two spent their teens and twenties taking secretarial jobs, scraping cash together, and sailing  off to Europe on the QE2 for adventures that would serve as the best time of their lives. When she didn’t miss the boat, their best friend Eileen Fenton was along for the ride and the three were dubbed the European Trio and their escapades documented in the local paper.   

Once in New York, Peggy served as an assistant to Dr. Irwin H. Krakoff, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She was awed by his genius and impressed by his lack of pretense, she loved working for him and always maintained gratitude for the opportunity he gave her. His cancer research and its impact resonated with her and she stayed at Sloan Kettering for decades, eventually managing the hospital’s Graduate Medical Education Department. 

She loved everything about New York, the rhythm and grit, the culture and glam, and the richness it delivered to her daily life. She developed a deep appreciation for all walks of life and she never forgave Giuliani for cleaning up 42nd Street.

She also loved Amagansett and spent her entire life summering there. As a teenager, she frequented Jungle Pete’s where she crossed paths with regulars from Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock to local fishermen and seasonal workers. She knew the area like the back of her hand and could always find an empty beach even on the busiest weekends, 

She carved many slopes before choosing Vermont’s Magic Mountain as her favorite destination. She loved the Londonderry area, burning the midnight oil at the Red Fox Inn and rocking a Bogner body suit at Magic, getting lost in whiteouts at Tater Hill, and cozying up to the fire at the Jamaica House.

Though she always maintained her freedom, she was deeply committed to the wellness of her niece Maryann Douglas. The two trotted across the globe after the Special Olympics competitions where Maryann was a champion. They skied the Alps, hung out with Prince, fed cats at Hemingway’s, and skinny-dipped at Maidstone.

Peg had 21 nieces and nephews many of whom she took on trips to places like Mexico, Austria, Italy, and Ireland. She also took them to see Broadway shows and Harlem jazz, Shakespeare in the park, and Liza at the Carlyle. If it was happening, Peg was there and a niece or nephew was typically tagging along.

She was full of fun and loaded with mischief, but tread lightly. Her arrival into this world came on the heels of four older brothers, she came out swinging and never stopped. God bless the souls who got into her crosshairs. 

Peggy is now reunited with her siblings Francis O’Hara, Mary Douglas, Jim, Jack, and Tom O’Hara, and Alice Daly. She is survived by 19 nieces and nephews and several great nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Little Britches Therapeutic Riding Program or Art People, two programs that provide support for her niece Maryann.

There will be a Funeral Mass celebrated for Peggy at 11AM on Monday, October 3, 2022 at St. Anthony’s of Padua Church, 149 South Pine Creek Road, Fairfield, Connecticut.

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