Peggy Ferguson Riggs

Peggy Ferguson Riggs, 87, of Virginia Beach, VA passed away at home on Monday, October 21, 2019. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Foundry United Methodist Church, 2801 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 at 11:00 AM on Friday, November 8, 2019.

She was born Peggy Anne Ferguson on March 23, 1932 in Cleveland, VA. She was an only child. However, she was raised on the family farm along with many close relatives while her parents traveled to find work during the economic depression. She eventually relocated with her parents to Portsmouth, VA where she attended/graduated from Cradock High School in 1950. While there, she was active in multiple sports and social activities.

She met her husband, Harold Robert Riggs, under somewhat awkward and unusual circumstances. While playing a friendly game of softball on opposing teams at a Sunday afternoon church picnic, Harold inadvertently executed a hard hit line drive back into the pitcher’s mound where Peggy was knocked temporarily unconscious. Upon being revived from the ordeal, Peggy (though mad as a hornet) eventually was able to forgive him for the large goose egg and splitting headache he so regretfully caused. Only sometime afterwards did she finally give in to Harold’s persistent advances in his awkward attempt to make it up to her. What started out as her revenge date, evolved into a whirlwind romantic courtship. Thus, Peggy and Harold were married on September 8, 1951 in Elizabeth City, NC. They were happily married for almost 62 years.

During their working lifetime and raising a family, they enjoyed recreational activities such as square dancing, camping, boating, water skiing and traveling the country in a Winnebago. She had a lifelong love for cocker spaniels and Hemmingway cats. Peggy enjoyed making ceramic pottery, flower gardening and seasonally decorating her home. She was an active member of several garden clubs and a lifetime Methodist including Thalia UMC and Foundry UMC (Virginia Beach) and First UMC (Marion). Peggy and Harold lived and worked in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area for approximately 50 years and raised two sons before retiring to Marion, VA in 1997. While there, they both were active in their local church and volunteered for the newly renovated Lincoln Theater. They lived in Marion for 16 years until Harold’s passing on April 29, 2013. Thereafter, Peggy relocated back to Virginia Beach to be near her family where she enjoyed participating in church and social activities throughout the remaining years of her life.

Peggy is preceded in death by her husband, Harold, her parents, Tilman and Mary Midgette, and is survived by her sons (spouses), Michael (Rev Dr Patricia) Riggs, Mark (Sue) Riggs, and her granddaughter Aubrey (Jarrid) Riggs, their five children, and grandson, Robert Riggs. Her remains (along with Harold’s) will be interred in the Ferguson family cemetery near Cleveland, VA at later date. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Foundry UMC Food Pantry and to the SPCA.