Margaret Anne ‘Peg’ Hurd, 85, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Oct. 22, 2015, at Indian River Medical Center after a long struggle with dementia.
Her husband of 38 years, Jack W. Hurd, was with her shortly before her passing.
Hurd was born Nov. 22, 1929 in Philadelphia, Penn. to Irish immigrant parents, Anthony Walsh and Nora Walsh, (nee McHale), both of County Mayo Ireland. She was the fourth of seven children: Patrick Walsh, (died soon after birth); Mary McKenna, deceased; Nora “Cissy” Smith, previously McGraw, deceased; Anthony “Bud” Walsh, deceased; John Walsh, deceased; and Frances Walsh, Sister Ancilla Regina, IHM.
She attended Saint Rose of Lima Grammar School and West Catholic Girls High School where she excelled academically, sang, played basketball, and to her immense pride, was a Green Ribbon Girl, one of those who guarded the venerable marble stairs. She spoke often, and happily, of the weekly dances she attended at neighboring parishes during her teen years.
Following high school she worked at Gimbels department store along with her future husband, William “Ted” Logue. The two married in 1951 and had five children: Theodore “Ted” Joseph Logue of Virgina Beach, Va.; John Anthony Logue, deceased at age 23; Noreen Regina Logue, deceased at age 17; Margaret Anne Carpenter (married to Scott Carpenter), of Oak Park, Calif.; and Katherine Mary Logue (married to Jonathan Nyland), of Barrington, Ill. She is survived by her five grandchildren: Bridget Carpenter, Joey Carpenter, Duncan Nyland, Fiona Nyland, and Charlotte Nyland.
As a young mother and wife, Hurd moved to Glendora, N.J. She was active in her community as president of St Theresa’s Altar and Rosary Society; president of the mothers of the Glendora Little League; treasurer of the Royalettes, the majorette group.
She enjoyed bowling for Mary’s Cold Cuts, a “spare bowler” she called herself. In fact, she carried her bowling bag, with ball and shoes, in the trunk of her car for years after she stopped playing in a league, just in case. She enjoyed playing cards. She was a voracious reader and kept up on current events and politics.
She and her family enjoyed the Jersey Shore, as guests of her’s parents, for a week every summer. Later, she worked as a teacher at St Patrick’s Grammar School in Woodbury, N.J. At night she attended Glasboro Community College to work on her teaching certificate.
In 1969, Hurd moved her family to Northern Virginia to begin a new life as a single mother after separating from her first husband. There she began her professional career in earnest, first as a physician’s secretary for several years, and then finally as a Security Clearance Manager for defense contractors Lulejian and Associates and BDM. The work suited her sharp intellect, organizational skills, attention to detail, and strong work ethic. She would rise to middle management, while completing her Associates Degree from Northern Virginia Community College. She was proud of her professional accomplishments and years later, in the confusion of her dementia, she would often reference her work “with the spooks.”
While working full-time and supporting her family, she cared for her four children who were still at home, including her son John, who had become paralyzed. She was a somewhat demanding mother, who expected her children to work hard and excel at school while doing their part at home, and for the older children, while working a part-time job. Tragedy marred these years, starting with the death of her niece at 19, followed by the death of her daughter, Noreen, at 18, and her son, John, at 23. The family would joke that we were like the Kennedys, only without the money. Her ability to laugh helped carry her through these years.
Between the deaths of her daughter and son, Hurd met her second husband, Jack W. Hurd. She and Jack celebrated their 38th anniversary this August. Jack was her best friend. When they were not working or parenting, they traveled, danced, attended the theater, and visited museums and historic homes (usually with Peg’s youngest in tow).
They played cards and entertained their many friends. The couple were long-time volunteers at Fairfax Hospital. They became very active members at the Fairfax Elks. Hurd was president of the Ladies of the Elks, and later was part of the second group of women who became Elks in their own right.
In 2002, after retiring and a few years of being “snowbirds,” the Hurd’s moved from Northern Virginia to Vero Beach full time. To her delight, three of her siblings also lived in Vero Beach at that same time. Hurd was already showing the early signs of her dementia, yet she and Jack were very active at the Elks in Vero Beach and volunteered at Indian River Medical Center. They also sang in the chorus at Vista Plantation.
As Hurd’s dementia increased, her ability to continue her activities diminished. She was irritable, even angry, as she sensed her mind, once so sharp, slip away. Jack lovingly cared for her at home until October 2010, when she moved to the memory care unit at The Place in Vero Beach.
For more than four years, Jack visited her almost daily, to feed her lunch and sit with her. Her children and grandchildren visited when they could. Long after she no longer recognized her children and grandchildren, she could still recall and sing the words to many songs, “America the Beautiful” being her favorite.
This past August, Hurd was moved from The Place to Palm Gardens. Surprisingly, her spirits over the last year, and particularly in these last two months at Palm Gardens, were much lighter and brighter than they had been during the darkest years of her dementia. Near the end she was still “talking” and laughing.
The Strunk Funeral Home oversaw her cremation. Her burial at Fairfax Memorial Cemetery and a memorial will be at a future date, most likely early spring.
