Margaret “Peggy” Mae Lance Bescher, 86, of Amelia Island, FL passed away in the early morning of November 16, 2022.

Peggy was born on July 15, 1936 in Cincinnati, OH to the late William J. and Margaret (Marquis) Lance. She grew up in Charleston, WV, the middle child of five.

Precocious and determined from the start, Peggy got a job at the age of nine as one of the first girls delivering newspapers on the steepest paper route in Charleston, WV. Her trailblazing spirit led her down a creative and varied life path. She worked at her parents’ eponymous Lance’s Card and Party Shop until she graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1954. After meeting Robert “Bob” Bescher at the University of Cincinnati and marrying in 1955, she postponed her college education to raise their four children (Mary, Beverly, Jeffrey and Patricia) as Bob’s job took them to Utica, NY, Boston, MA and then back to Cincinnati, OH. Once the children were school-aged, she finished her degree in Elementary Education at the University of Cincinnati. She then taught first grade in the Greenville School District for several years, where she brought joy and play into her students’ days through activities like building a spaceship from wire and paper mache or taking all 32 kids on an impromptu field trip to the local grocer for popsicles on a warm day.

When Bob’s job moved the family to Lynnfield, MA, Peggy left teaching and completed her MBA at Northeastern University in 1975. Never one to be limited by social convention, she earned the distinction of being the oldest woman to be accepted into the competitive Financial Management Program at General Electric. In addition to her full-time job at GE, she also found time to volunteer as the Chairman of the School Committee. In 1980, the family moved to San Diego and Peggy pivoted yet again, putting her superior attention to detail to use as a tax preparation specialist for H&R Block. After yet another move to Hartford, CT in 1985, Peggy dove headfirst into designing and overseeing the building of two homes - one in Mystic, CT and later, one in Palm Coast, FL.

An intrepid adventurer with a can-do attitude and deep love of learning, Peggy was a woman of many hobbies and talents. As a child, she and her sister Fanella performed acrobatic acts, walking up and down a set of stairs on their hands. Despite growing up in a landlocked state, Peggy was a life-long sailor and equally as happy scuba diving in the Bahamas as she was boogie boarding with her grandkids in Emerald Isle, NC. She and Bob often took the kids hiking, camping and on road trips in the family’s station wagon that she outfitted with homemade curtains and sleeping platforms. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing herself dresses for formal events, making clothing for her children and, in her later years, assisting her grandchildren with their own projects. Her creativity and appreciation for beauty led her to be an avid gardener, an enthusiastic oil and watercolor painter, and a knowledgeable bird-watcher. Most mornings, she could be found dunking a chocolate biscotti into her coffee while working on the day’s crossword puzzle.

Peggy loved family above all else and, together with Bob, spent a lifetime orchestrating moments big and small for loved ones to gather together. Through her, her family inherited a love of reading, puzzles, exploring nature, the beach and all things chocolate. She was an inspiration to many, and her daughters and granddaughters will often attest that they come from a long line of strong, independent Bescher women.

In her later years, one of her great joys was being known in her social circles as The Spoon - always ready to stir up mischief and banter with those in her presence. Her big heart and strong spirit will be deeply missed and her passing leaves a significant absence in the lives of those who knew and loved her.

Peggy leaves behind her spouse of 67 years, Bob Bescher of Amelia Island, FL, 4 children: Mary Bescher (John Waber) - Denver, CO, Beverly Bescher (Gary Decker) - Amelia Island, FL, Jeff (Shari) Bescher - Carol Stream, IL, Patty Bonk (Dan Orr) - Woodstock, GA, 8 grandchildren: Katie (Mike) Reiners, Bryan (Julia) Bescher, Meghan Bescher (Ryan Tlusty), Jasmine Zimmerman (Alex Federici), Brett (Michelle) Bonk, Sean Zimmerman, Kirsten (Drew) Williams, Mackenzie Bonk, and 11 great-grandchildren: Tyler Stangl, Teagan Reiners, Tristan Reiners, Gemma Bescher, Violet Bescher, Kevin Tlusty, Luke Tlusty, Daniel Tlusty, Brooklynn Bonk, Presley Bonk and Jack Williams, and her siblings: Fanella Lang of Hanoverton, OH, and Bryan (Ruth) Lance of Cincinnati, OH.

A celebration of life will take place in January 2023 in Amelia Island, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to Shriner’s Hospital for Children (www.shrinerschildrens.org) in her name.