Peggy J. Pearson

Peggy Jowers Pearson, age 84, of Irondale, Alabama, passed into her eternal heavenly home on January 21, 2024. Her loving parents, Charles Edward (Ed) Jowers and Lorine Ellard Jowers preceded her in death.

Peggy loved her family with all her heart and was deeply loved by Jerry, her surviving husband of over 67 years. They were teenage sweethearts, married young, and built together a wonderful and beautiful life. She is survived by their children, Dwynette Valenti (Vince) and Jerry (Bud) Pearson, Jr. (Tina), and five grandsons all of whom she adored, Tony (Bethany), Michael (Katie), Rory (Marley), and Jeremy Valenti, and Allen Pearson. Also joys in her life were great granddaughters, Maya, Aurora, Summer, Vienna and Gwyneth Valenti, Victoria and Rebekah Valenti, Amelia and Elaina Valenti, and Paisley Pearson, and great grandsons, Gabriel, Alex, and Daniel Valenti, Luke Valenti, Erik Valenti, and Jaxson Pearson. Also surviving is one sister, Pat Johnson, several nieces and nephews along with their children, and numerous cousins.

Peggy loved to travel especially with her husband and in 2013 he surprised her with a second road trip to Alaska. Their first road trip to Alaska in 1996 lasted 50 days. They fished and caught large halibut, had the fish processed, frozen and shipped home. They also went on a cruise through the eastern Caribbean which was especially enjoyable with lifelong friends in 2010. In 2019, her grandson, Tony, hosted a Disney cruise with daughters Maya and Aurora and asked Jerry and Peggy to join them. What a great time, feeling young again. All the family (14) went to Hawaii for a family vacation hosted by grandson Tony, a few years ago, and she went again to Hawaii with Dwynette in 2016 to visit her grandson in the Air Force, Michael, and his wife Katie. Over the years, she traveled to Scotland, Germany, Austria, Paris, and then to China for a great 19 -day tour with her daughter, Dwynette. She and Jerry made numerous trips to the southwest and also to the northwest, visiting nearly all 48 states, Washington DC, Mexico and Canada.

In 2022, Jerry and Peggy celebrated 66 years of married life. Dwynette hosted a lovely anniversary party in Omaha, Nebraska. Also, there had been a 60-year anniversary celebration in 2016 in Omaha hosted by their children, attended by nearly all family members.

Another passion was her love of gardening and seeing plants grow. She was a member of The Cahaba Valley Garden Club in Leeds for over 50 years and enjoyed the company of all the wonderful ladies in that group. Peggy maintained a yard full of flowers both in Irondale and at their home on Logan Martin Lake. She will also be missed by many good friends in her former Red Hat Club and her monthly luncheon group.

She and Jerry spent many hours enjoying water sports and fishing at the lake. They also traveled to northern Canada, Florida and The Keys, Alaska and numerous lakes in the US enjoying this sport. She loved to entertain friends and family with dinners and fish fries.

Peggy loved life; participated in many sports: swimming, waterskiing, bungee jumping, snow skiing, and even skydiving with her grandsons. When the 5 grandsons were young, she loved taking them to amusement parks and would ride the biggest and fastest roller coasters with them.

She retired from Graham & Company in 2008 with fond memories of those she worked for and with.

She attended Irondale First Baptist Church (renamed The Church at Grants Mill) for many years and The Upper Room Baptist Church in Irondale. The family was active members of Moody Baptist Church during the time they lived in Moody and have maintained an ongoing friendship with many of the people from that community.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations to be made to Ford Family Cemetery.

No formal funeral arrangements were planned as she wished to be remembered in life rather than in death. There was a private service at the Ford Family Cemetery outside Jasper, AL. Vince Valenti, son-in-law, officiating.