Marguerite M. “Peggy” Salmon, 89, of Vero Beach and Fair Haven, N.J., passed away peacefully on March 20, 2016, at Indian River Medical Center.
She is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, Louis; her son Raymond (Dagmar) of Hailey, Idaho; her son Robert (Lise) of Mill Valley, Calif.; her daughter Kathryn Carter (Buddy) of Rumson, N.J.; her daughter Janet Wilson (James) of Fair Haven, N.J.; her nine grandchildren, Leah, Brianna, Connor, Brian, Victoria, Nick, Louis, Joseph and Benjamin; and her sister Beverly Gaines of Hillsborough, Calif.
Born and raised in Ludington, Mich., a small town on the shore of Lake Michigan, Salmon attended Ludington High School and graduated from Wayne State University and the Grace Hospital School of Nursing.
Her first marriage to Richard (Pete) Schmittling in 1948 ended tragically when he died three years later leaving two sons, Bill, age 3, and Ray, 6 months.
It was during her time working as an operating room nurse at Wayne County General Hospital in Westland, Mich., she met Louis R. Salmon, a resident in Ophthalmology at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich. They were married in 1956 and settled in Rumson, N.J., close to the shores where Louis spent his summer months as a child.
While busy raising her five children, Salmon served on the boards of several community service agencies, co-owned and operated Brigadoon Opticians in Middletown, N.J., and became a breeder of Boston Terriers and Chinese Shar-Peis. Following Louis’ retirement in 1994, they divided their time between New Jersey and Florida.
Salmon always felt fortunate to have travelled the world with Louis. Together, they became internationally certified scuba divers exploring the natural wonders of the sea and sailors chartering boats and touring with great friends the Caribbean and South Pacific.
She so appreciated the many trips she took while young and felt equally fortunate to have found the game of golf and her later passion in life; duplicate bridge. She was an active member for more than 45 years of Rumson Country Club and Seabright Beach Club in New Jersey and, since 1994, Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club in Vero Beach.
Salmon was ever thankful to her maternal grandparents, Fritz and Nellie Johnson who raised her, for their love and direction in life. She proudly kept the promise she made to Grandmother to never forget her relatives by making repeated visits to Arild, the small Swedish village of her grandmother, as well as visiting her many cousins throughout Skane County.
She was a loving wife, caring mother, adoring grandmother and wonderful friend.
She was predeceased by her son, Bill, in 1987.
A private mass and interment will be held by the family. A Celebration of Life gathering is scheduled for later this spring in New Jersey. Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank, N.J. is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, family requests that memorial donations be made in her memory to the Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
Local arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach. An online guestbook is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
