Peggy Ann (Riggs) Lyons

 “You can take the lady out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the lady”

Peggy Ann Lyons (Riggs), loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend passed into eternal life on May 1, 2022 at 90 years of age. Peggy was born and raised in South Carolina. After high school, she entered college for a year, but wasn’t sure of her path, so enlisted in the Navy where she spent the next year. As her surviving sister June said: “Peggy was probably the only person in the Navy who was terrified of water!” She received her Honorable Discharge, then met her adored future husband, Raymond, to whom she was married for twenty-six years.They relocated to Connecticut where they raised two children, Claudia and Gregory.

Although Peggy’s greatest joy was being a wife and mother, she took on a career after her divorce. For seventeen years, she worked as Head Receptionist at Bristol Myers-Squibb where she was selected as Employee of the Year from among all of the BMS employees throughout the country - twice! Her Southern charm won over even the sternest clients as she greeted each of them with her trademark smile and genuine interest in their well-being. As for her colleagues, not a single one escaped her “hello, darlin’, how y’all doing?”

Peggy (who was not a fan of heights) put on a harness, climbed a wall, then rappelled down it to promote BMS activities. She also participated in Going Above and Beyond at BMS by assuming the personality of Ernestine - Lily Tomlin’s famous switchboard operator character. While attending a Lily Tomlin show, the actor heard about Peggy, agreed to meet her, then signed photographs!

Peggy’s other interests included involvement in church where she served on many committees and taught Sunday school. She also helped raise money for Midstate Medical Center, where she was a member of the Prestige Club, and for the United Way. She loved attending plays, the symphony, art exhibits, Christmas, falling asleep in front of the fireplace, meeting up with friends, shopping, wearing nice clothes, reading the Bible, and beaches. Traveling was also high on her list and she was able to travel to many countries and islands with family. Additionally, she and friends would travel to the Prince Edward Island home of Claudia and her husband David for a couple weeks in the summer. And, of course, there would be a trip to see family in South Carolina from where she would return with a few more drawls added to her Southern accent! Yet, most of all, Peggy enjoyed spending time with her immediate family - especially with her grandchildren Alex, Anna, and Ian, where she could be Grannie.

Peggy was predeceased by her ex-husband, grandparents, parents, eldest sister, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers-in-law. All of them were forever held close in her heart. She is survived by her daughter Claudia Lyons and her husband, David Dickinson, her son Gregory and his wife, Josefina, her grandchildren, her sister, June, as well as several nephews and nieces.

Peggy has been cremated. Her ashes will be interred in South Carolina next to her parents - and where three generations of her family rest. Her remains will be in a soft pink urn: Pretty Peggy in Pink. Peggy’s family would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to her former colleagues at BMS with whom she enjoyed great friendships, to the “regulars” on Unit 2 of Charlene Manor where she spent the last year of her life being lovingly cared for, and to the Dickinson family (especially Doc and Eileen) who were more than just family.

Your “Southern Belle” loved you all!

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