Peggy Brooks Smith

Peggy Brooks Smith, 93, of Bethesda, MD passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 17, 2024. A prominent Washington, D.C. commercial real estate broker for decades, she was one of the co-founders of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW-DC) and served as its President from 1983-1984 and was on Washington, D.C. CREW’s Advisory Council for many years. The Washington, D.C. chapter of CREW became the precursor of CREW National, the industry's premier business networking organization which now has 14,000 professionals in 80 major markets around the globe.

Born in 1930 at Washington, D.C.’s Columbia Hospital for Women, Peggy was the beloved daughter of Louis and Sarah Brooks. A graduate of Roosevelt High School, Ms. Smith received her B.A. degree from The American University in Washington, D.C. She later served as President of The American University Alumni Association’s Board of Governors, a Co-Chair of the University’s President’s Circle and the first Chair of its Kogod School of Business’s Real Estate Council, and helped to reactivate the University’s Real Estate Alumni Chapter. She was later honored by American University with its prestigious Alumni Recognition Award for her success as a “commercial realtor, an innovative alumna, a founder of professional organizations, and an outstanding ground-breaker for the City.”

After divorcing her husband Harold Smith, Peggy began her commercial real estate career over 50 years ago. She became the first woman to be hired by the commercial division of a large Washington, D.C. regional real estate brokerage firm, Shannon & Luchs, where she was later named Vice President of Commercial Sales and earned her Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation (a 240-hour commercial real estate professional curriculum sometimes referred to as the “Ph.D.” of commercial real estate). In 1997, she joined Marcus & Millichap, a national commercial real estate investment services firm where she rose to become its Vice President – Investments and a Director of its National Multi Housing Group. She retired in 2018 at the age of 88.

Peggy was an avid reader and music devotee, having majored in piano at The American University. She was also a perpetual learner, taking classes for seniors into her late 80’s at the University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and loved to discuss politics. Beloved by everyone who met her, she enjoyed having a wide circle of friends and as a gourmet cook, entertained frequently at home right up until 2022 when she moved to Sunrise at Fox Hill in Bethesda. She relished dining at every new restaurant in town and saw every new movie even before her adult children. She was a member of the American Film Institute, attended opera and ballet regularly, and traveled annually to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Summer Music Festival for over 10 years. Despite working full time until the age of 88, she also traveled extensively including visits to Japan, Vietnam, Peru, Europe and in her 80’s, to China.

Peggy was very close to and greatly admired her beloved son Anson (1956-2016) who was a CPA, the business manager for more than 30 years for Nils Lofgren, one of Bruce Springsteen’s guitarists, and a residential builder and multi-family property owner in Frederick, MD. She attended Springsteen concerts into her 80’s and even traveled to Las Vegas at age 89 to see Lady Gaga with her daughter Tina and granddaughter Amanda, standing for the entire show. She was also extremely proud of her daughter, Dr. Tina West, a highly regarded, double Board-certified dermatologist and laser surgeon with practices in Chevy Chase, MD and Aspen, CO.

After moving to Fox Hill in 2022, Peggy met and enjoyed the company of her close companion, Dr. Norman Berry. The two were inseparable for the last year of her life and she was very grateful for their wonderful relationship.

Peggy was the younger sister of the late Daniel Chesivoir (Rhona) and the late Evelyn Peskin (David). She is survived by her beloved daughter Tina (Ed) of Bethesda MD and their children Amanda, Jake, and Ashley; her nephew Brad Chesivoir (Carole Klein) of Bethesda, MD and their children; her niece Sheryl Chesivoir (Sid Shapira) of San Diego, CA; her nephew Robert Peskin (Ellen Turner) of Bethesda, MD; and her niece Nancy Moskowitz (Jay) of Cortlandt Manor, NY, and their children.

Funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Peggy’s memory to the Washington Hebrew Congregation's Worship and Music Fund at https://congregationconnect.tfaforms.net/387792 or to a charity of your choice.