Ardith "Peggy" Brittain Park

Ardith Ann “Peggy” Brittain Park passed away on November 18, 2020. In a year full of statistics, Peggy is not a statistic. COVID took her life, but not her spirit; and what a spirit she had. Born in Bell County, KY on July 20, 1935, Peggy lived a life full of love and grace and independence and dignity. She had a quick wit and loved to laugh. She loved her children and grandchildren. She loved classical music and the arts and the mountains and wildflowers. Peggy was a kind and gentle soul with a strong faith and a compassion for others. Peggy spent 28 years working in the Financial Aid office of SMU, a place where she found a sense of purpose and community. Through her efforts, she touched an untold number of lives and helped scores of students achieve the goal of a college education. Peggy was too modest to view her work through that lens but not for the pride she felt in being part of the SMU family. Peggy grew up in Pineville, KY, the youngest of eight children. She played clarinet in the Bell County High School marching band and graduated in 1953. She attended Cumberland College and graduated from Eastern Kentucky State College in 1959 with a degree in Elementary Education. Peggy moved to Dallas later that year to start a family with her husband of 26 years Richard L. Park. She raised four children and developed a passion for writing short stories and poems. Below is an example of one of them:

For want of nurturing

A friendship died

For want of loving

Children cried

For want of a candle

The world grew dark

For want of a song

There was no meadowlark

For want of all these

The spirit declined

Is this all there’s left

Of this world I call mine?

No, it is all there

If we only perceive

We are not forced to want

For any of these

Peggy retired from SMU in 2007, but remained active in her community as a member of First United Methodist Church in Richardson and as a volunteer with the Network of Community Ministries. “Grandma Peggy” to nine grandchildren, she loved traveling and fishing and spending time outdoors. She had an infectious smile and a warm heart for all she met. Above all, Peggy showed bravery, a sense of humor and a love of life in the face of debilitating disease. In honor of Peggy - sing, dance, listen to beautiful song, read and read often, ride a Harley, breathe in the mountains in summer, tell a child they are special, because they are unique and there’s only one of them, keep a journal, stay beautiful inside and most importantly love yourself.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents Stella and Oscar Brittain, sisters Glades and Twila and brothers Dover, John and James. She is survived by her brother Bill Brittain and sister Shirley Slone. She is also survived by her son John Park, his daughters Maddie, Meredith and Kate, and his wife Lea Clay Park, by daughter Susan Park Sorensen, her sons Kiel and Shane and her husband Kelley Bockius, and his daughters Sascha and Nina, by son Michael Park, his wife Becky and their children Christopher and Avery, and by son Bill Park, his wife Amanda and their sons Matthew and James. Peggy is also survived by special friend, Charley Vorhees. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Auberge Memory Care Plano. Graveside services will be held in Pineville, KY, and a memorial service in Dallas at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to CurePSP, The Network of Community Ministries (Richardson, TX) and First United Methodist Church-Richardson.