Margaret McGee

Margaret (Peggy) Putnam McGee, age 102, passed away peacefully July 22, 2020 in her home at Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village, Meridian, Idaho. Peggy touched many hearts in her 102 years of life. Her charm and wit were legendary amongst her friends and family. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.

Peggy was born June 3, 1918 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She lived in many places growing up, mostly remote, as her father was a construction engineer with Utah Construction, assigned to large dams and other civil projects across the United States.

She graduated from Queen Anne High (Seattle) in 1936 and continued her education at the University of Utah earning a B.S degree in Speech and English in addition to a teaching certificate. Peggy served as president of her sorority, Delta Gamma, and later was president of the Salt Lake alumnae chapter.

Peggy married the love of her life, Harold (Hal) McGee in 1942. Separated by the war, they communicated faithfully via letters and telegrams, all of which were saved in shoe boxes and still read and enjoyed by her family today.

After the war, Peggy and Hal took up residency in Seattle where two of their four children were born. From Seattle, they ventured to Salt Lake City, the birthplace of their two younger children. A move to Boise, ID followed in 1967 and that remained her home for 53 years.

After Hal’s retirement in 1981, they traveled extensively including an annual winter migration to Palm Desert, CA enjoying golf, restaurants, sunshine, and each other. They were members of Crane Creek Country Club and enjoyed golfing, socializing with friends, and hosting their children and grandkids at the pool and special holiday events.

Peggy’s priority was her family, always. She enjoyed bridge, reading, dancing, music, spending time with her many friends, and watching sports, especially college football, “GO UTES”. She particularly cherished her eleven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. From their first dance together in high school, Hal and Peggy forged a love for ballroom dancing which continued throughout their 65 years of marriage. Peggy wore out several pairs of shoes, dancing with Hal at the Sun Valley Jazz Festival every Fall, an event they never missed.

Peggy moved into the Touchmark Senior Living Community in November 2013 where she took full advantage of all the programs and activities offered there. She loved, and was genuinely loved in return, by the many wonderful residents and staff she met there. When asked the secret to her longevity, Peggy always responded; “my love of family and a good sense of humor”.

She is survived by her children, Janna Tipton (Gary), Gary McGee (Tomi), Julie Cowan (Dave), and her grandchildren,  Kelleen McGee (Tod), Derek McGee (Jen), Kirk McGee (Theresa), Rory Tipton, Molly Hanson (Nick), Marissa Morton (Rhett), Bobby Cowan (Lauren), Trent Cowan, Kristin McGee, Erica McGee and Annie McGee. Peggy has nine great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her oldest son, Brent (a Vietnam Veteran), two brothers and one sister. She will join her husband at the Idaho Veterans Cemetery after a private family gathering, place and time to be determined.