Peggy Connell Durden

A woman of indomitable spirit, perseverance, and purpose, she was a force of nature and uniquely one of a kind. Life wasn’t always easy, and she’d be the first to admit imperfection. Yet, she never met a problem she couldn’t solve or work around; and, as an eternal optimist she refused to let hard times get her down.

Peggy was born to Wilbur and Louise Connell in Winter Garden, Florida, on August 22, 1933. After graduating from Lake Wales High School, Peggy earned several music scholarships, attended the University of Miami where she played clarinet in the UM “Band of the Hour,” and directed multiple church choirs. She then transferred to Stetson University, where she was a proud member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She soon married the love of her life, Jess Durden, and they were eventually blessed with the birth of their only child, Dorothy Connell “DeeDee” Durden.

Peggy refused to acknowledge the glass ceiling that could have held her down professionally. Instead, her independence, savvy, and drive brought her to the upper echelons of Florida’s development and automobile industries, well-dominated by men at that time.

When her beloved husband, Jess, died in 1981, Peggy was resolute in seeing that her teenage daughter, DeeDee, would still go to college and, as always, she made it happen.

Peggy was deeply devoted to her faith in God. Always active in music ministries, she grew up and raised DeeDee in the Southern Baptist denomination. In Tallahassee she was an active member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and more recently she was a member of the New Covenant United Methodist Church in the Villages, FL.

Peggy valued her family deeply, and felt profoundly blessed by her three grandchildren, for whom she relocated to Tallahassee to be a close part of their lives. To those grandchildren, she became not only their “Mimi,” but also “MiMi” to all their friends. As with her daughter DeeDee, her grandchildren’s dreams became her dreams, and their goals her mission. Their celebrations were her joy. A woman of deep and unconditional love, she turned defeats into lessons, setbacks into resilience and offered strategies to overcome fears and failures. Most importantly, they were hers, and she was theirs.

Among other social and civic entities, Peggy was a founding member of the Selva Marina Country Club in Jacksonville and an active member of P.E.O., a service organization devoted to facilitating women’s advancement through education.

In her semi-retirement, Peggy became a sorority house “Mom” – first at Florida State University, then the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee, and Georgia Southern University – where she befriended, mentored, and encouraged hundreds of young women. In her full retirement, with her grandchildren grown, she relocated to The Villages, where she relished the company of many friends, playing golf and bridge, and engaging in other social activities.

Peggy had a zest for life and fun that was second to none. At age 90, she was an aficionado of professional football who could name all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL and she was still driving herself to Biloxi, Mississippi, to have a go at the slots.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jess Durden. She is survived by her only child and devoted daughter, DeeDee Rasmussen; her beloved grandchildren Tripp Rasmussen, Katie Rasmussen, and Will Rasmussen (Hannah); her brother Fred Connell (Pat); several cousins, nieces and nephews, and countless friends.

Peggy Durden will be sorely missed, but she also exits this world leaving deep and indelible footprints on the lives of the many she touched during her blessedly long journey here. Hers was a life well lived and a legacy bar none.

A celebration of her life will be held at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1700 CR-155, Tallahassee, FL 32303 on Tuesday, July 23rd at 10:00 am (EST) with a reception immediately after in Sanders Hall.

A graveside service will be held at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, FL 34734 on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 10:00AM (EST).