Peggy Brannigan

Peggy (Margaret Mary McGinty) Brannigan passed away peacefully May 8th in Westerville, Ohio. She spent her last days surrounded by her loving children and will be missed by them and their spouses: Anne and Dennis Reamsnyder; Mary and Martin Frank; James and Leslie Brannigan; Paul and Laura Brannigan; Peggy and Gary Christie. She is preceded in death by loving husband James, sister Eileen (Fitzgerald), brothers John and James McGinty.

The daughter of James and Theresa McGinty, Peggy was born in 1933 in the Bronx NY. Still in her teens, she lost her parents and was taken in by sister Eileen and Brother-in-law Gerald, while still being watched over by her big brothers. After high school she was a secretary in Manhattan, typing, taking shorthand and operating the still-novel teletype machine. In 1955 she married James Brannigan, a petroleum engineer, whose career took them to Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. During this time, she established her legacy of 5 children, 14 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren with 2 more on the way.

Peggy earned her bachelor’s degree of Arts from Bowling Green State University, then a Master of Arts from Toledo University. She was a founding member of the Fort Findlay Playhouse and filled almost every role there both on and off the stage. Her children grew up at the Playhouse, often doing their homework while waiting for their mom at rehearsals. Peggy also wrote, produced, and directed her own play. She was an active member of the Catholic church, a eucharist minister and lector.

Peggy loved life and the people around her. She had a wonderful group of women friends in Findlay. They were all true pioneers and great role models for her children. She made many lifelong friends and was very involved in the community, enough so that she was declared by the mayor as an honorary Findlay native.

During her final years at Feridean Commons, her mission was to make the residents laugh. Peggy’s humor might best be represented by the sweater she wore during the Christmas season that had the word “Naughty” emblazoned on it with silver sequins. Peggy had many a story to tell. If only there were room for those.

Friends may gather in Peggy's honor for a Memorial Mass, on Friday, May 17th at 11:00 AM at Church of the Resurrection, 6300 East Dublin Grandville Road, New Albany, OH 43054. Following the service will be a Celebration of Life from 12:30 to 4:30pm at Royal American Links, 3300 Miller-Paul Rd, Galena, Ohio 43021

In lieu of flowers, one of Peggy’s favorite charities is St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (http://stjude.org).