Margaret Selina Cobb

Margaret Selina Cornell Cobb, born Oct 8, 1921 in Ada, Michigan, Died March 25, 2019. Preceded by Husband Nearle, Brother Joseph; survived by daughter Roxanne Jo Cobb, son David Nearle Cobb, grandchildren Adam, Megan, Larissa, Michael; great grandchildren Elliot, and Oak.

These are just the cold hard facts we're all used to seeing after someone's passing, we know how the story ends. But to understand the story, we have to go back to the beginning. So, we're going on a ride, to learn about Peggy Cobb, for that was how she was known. The Margaret S. Cobb was only for formal and official uses.

Peggy was what you might call an adventuress by birthright. Her teen-aged mother immigrated to the United States from England via Canada to the Detroit area. Her father was an engineer on Great Lakes steamers. Peggy grew up in Binghamton, NY area were the family settled. They lived in a cellar as her father was building the house above them. Her younger brother, Friend Joseph was born when she was 14, in 1935. Wherever Joe would be, he would always have a friend. As the great depression was now underway, their father traveled looking for work with the WPA and TVA. During this time, Peggy would do what she needed to do to help feed and support the family. Peggy graduated from Binghamton North High School where she met Pat; the two would be life-long friends.

As World War II was beginning, Peggy, now age 20, found work in Washington D.C. as secretary to the Director of Washington National Airport. This started a chapter of her life that would challenge the likes of Ian Flemming, "Cornell, Peggy Cornell". As a determined, young single woman, Peggy maintained her own little black "him" book of eligible young men. Peggy's workplace moved to War Department - ostensibly in the same position - but it entailed mysterious commuting; call in to office, get cab to a street corner, (note she was just a secretary but had with taxi coupons during the height of rationing), where an Army staff car would pick her up and take her by circuitous routes to work with the same procedure after shift. The same street corner was never used twice. One evening while working in D.C. Air Defence, Peggy was responsible for recommending the "black-out" along the entire U.S. east coast over unidentified aircraft approaching for the sea. Other tidbits of her War time experiences were holding the plans for the Norden bombsight in her desk for a time, watching a secret information clearing room where people would enter with briefcases chained to their wrist, only to exit a time later with a different case chained to them. One time, during a double date, relaxing aboard the Presidents plane, not knowing the tail support had not been installed, they moved to the rear of the plane only to have the plane pitch down onto the tail with a horrifying crash. At a party one evening where her friends, members of the Washington Girls as they called themselves, tried to get Peggy oiled with Southern Comfort, but she would pour the drinks into a potted palm. Everyone was amazed at how well she could hold her liquor, but it was so odd that their palm died shortly after the party. She learned to fly, and had a special friend, a pilot, who went to Europe, but never returned.

After the war, Peggy returned to Binghamton and worked for Link Aviation, building flight simulators. One of the members of the car pool, was an odd fellow, Nearle (Skip) Cobb. By January, 1947 they married and soon added Roxanne to the family. Peggy, trying to ensure a Halloween birth, drank Castor oil chasing it with cherry jam. It worked, although, Peggy would never again enjoy cherry jam. The house was a rambling collection of additions to a civil war farm cabin which accommodated the growing family, with Peggy's mother living with them as well.

Peggy was known for being a physically tough woman, and contracted and survived TB between the births of her children.

1952 saw the birth of David Nearle Cobb. During those post-war years, Peggy was becoming what we now refer to as a "Liberated" woman. Rebuffing critics that she should not be a working mother, she would do what she needed to do to help her family have a comfortable life, vacations, lavish Christmases, and while working, still made time for her family, attending school functions, PTA meetings, being a Girl Scout leader and more, much more. She joined Nearle with his interest in foreign cars, MG's, Porches', Citroen's. Their sports cars were their recreation: road rallying, and the adventures of enjoying older models of imports with their own idiosyncrasies. One such outing, in an older MG would have Peggy holding the hood open as Skip would hit the fuel pump to keep the engine running. Planning and hosting a tour of the covered bridges of New England for the regional SCCA rally was another of their many adventures.

Throughout the late 50's and into the mid 60's, Peggy and Skip enjoyed an active social life. They hosted card nights, open Thanksgiving dinners that often including recent escapees from behind the "Iron Curtain", New Year's galas, and summer cookouts and dinners with French and American IBM staffers, Skip's coworkers. Summer vacations would include camping at many parks in and around New York, Canada, and Cape Hatteras. Several years at Lake Laural, Peggy provided entertainment for fellow campers by performing clownish aquatic acrobatics while waterskiing.

1962 saw a couple of changes in housing, but it was hard to find just the right one, As such, Peggy began several remodeling projects herself, because she could when people said she couldn’t! Some of her remodeling consisted of redoing an entry hallway to an Oriental motif; reversing the position of front porch stairs and then sanding and refinishing the entire porch along with rebuilding the railings and customizing the decking and stairs to align with the driveway; Changes and improvements to other houses included refinishing brick fireplaces, converting a basement to a family room, refurbishing an attic into an apartment for her mother, and other projects.

During the early 1960's Peggy was involved in a serious auto accident when another driver ran a stop and hit her sports car, rendering Peggy deaf in one ear with other injuries. During the next many months, Peggy took up furniture refinishing as therapy as part of her healing. She never had a small car after that.

1967 saw an opportunity for a new grand adventure. Skip was offered a transfer to a new IBM facility in Boca Raton, Fla. - a big move, a new horizon! It was a shock seeing the smaller houses in that part of S. Fla, but the family did find a suitable split level. Peggy went right to work remodeling the lower level for her master bedroom, and accepted a position as a legal secretary. Soon Peggy and Skip made friends: Helen "Speedie" Speed, who became a part of the family; the Rices with whom Skip and son Dave would spend much time sailing and racing. Peggy's choice in cars had evolved from small foreign sport models to American convertibles with big V-8 power to get up and cruise; cars such as her Fairlane 500, or the Wildcat 400, and others. ID it wasn’t a convertible, it wasn’t around long. As a driver, she was determined that few would get off the light quicker than she.

Life in Fla continued with many of the family traditions, Chili and Cheer Open House on Christmas Eve; inviting guest for full house Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; card nights and other social events. Part of the move to Fla included new vacation spots with a favorite being Sanibel Island. Skip's interest in sports cars waned somewhat, as sailing was an interest that Peggy thought was better suited for Skip and Dave.

Speaking of Dave, in 1968, he brought home a friend, a big blonde kid, Lloyd, who became a part of the family as the boy’s bond grew. The Cobb's always, and do have a love of animals, Peggy always had her Siamese cats, and there was always a family dog. I remember Peggy coaching me on the name of a fellow Roxi was dating, after meeting and learning a previous suitors name. I am quite honored to be considered as Peggy and Skip's other son.

As time went on, there were moves to different homes with features that fit with changes of life. 1975 saw Peggy’s mother pass on. But life does indeed carry on.

Both Roxi and Dave married in 1978, exciting events, but 1978 also had its down side. Peggy needed to become a nurse as Skip had open heart surgery, and then Peggy was diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, remember, it was mentioned how tough she was as a younger woman; she beat this cancer, and saw Skip through his recovery also. Another event in 1978 was a move to a smaller abode, a condominium on the Intracoastal Waterway in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Here their social life resumed on the apartment patio deck. Nearle retired in 1985, and with a new custom van, they made a trip around the U.S. and Canada, where she met finally her cousin in Moosejaw; her pen pal since the age of 8.

Peggy and Nearle became grandparents beginning with Roxi's son Adam in 1980, and again with the 1982 birth of Megan. David added granddaughter Larissa in 1984 and grandson Michael in 1985. Roxi’ children made her a great-grandmother in 2017 with the addition of Adam's Elliot and Megan's Oak.

Peggy always had an open door to listen and encourage others to help them solve problems. Once a plan was decided upon, Peggy would support their path to solution.

Peggy and Nearle moved to the Lakes of Melbourne in 1988 and joined the active social life as retirees and proud grandparents.

1994 Peggy suffered a near deadly stroke, affecting vision and sleep cycles, but, she survived, Tough! …and so typically stubborn! With some accommodation, Peggy continued as active as ever.

1997 Nearle passed on, and that year Roxi divorced. Mother and daughter would continue a family tradition, buying a house in Palm Bay, Fla and moving in together in 1998. They shared that home for many years, hosting dinners as well as social and family get-togethers. Peggy's decline was slow and she stubbornly refused to yield to time and soldiered on. Seventeen years later in 2015, Peggy had to move into a care facility. 2017 saw the births of great grandchildren, Elliot and Oak.

But now, Peggy's path has ended. Another member of the "Greatest Generation" has left us.

A celebration of life for Margaret will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Fountainhead Funeral Home, 7359 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FountainheadFuneralHome.com for the Cobb family.