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MAY - JUNE 2013
“After a certain number of years, our faces become our biographies.”
-Cynthia Ozick
A CENTURY OF EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN A Glimpse into the Life & Character of Peggy Lloyd
An avid skier and instructor, Peggy is pictured second from the left holding a warm beverage inside a ski lodge.
At the turn of the century, it was a common site to see folks, including Peggy and her mother, riding horses and ponies on the beaches
By Josh Kinney Peggy during her days at the U.S.O. in Newfoundland, Canada during WWII.
A beautiful portrait of Peggy in her younger days hangs among her art collection.
Today, Peggy is still vibrant and energetic, sharp as can be and continuously dedicated to helping others.
“My idea is that you do things for people,” said 99-year-old Peggy Lloyd, sporting a stylish ruby sweater, her delicate hands resting on a stack of preserved history books and magazines ranging from pre-World War II era, the Civil Rights movement, to the present “war on terrorism.” When I called Peggy for an interview, I didn’t know I would be invited into a beautifully well-kept home swathed with mesmerizing art, photographs and vintage maps, all of which spoke volumes, an absorbing story behind each. Peggy took me by the hand as I walked through the door of her home at the far north end of Ocean City, welcoming me into her extraordinarily fascinating life. “So, how can I help you? I want to help you,” she said immediately, smiling as we sat down in her study, a cozy woodpaneled room with a gleaming brick fireplace, and hand-crafted wooden bird sculptures on the mantel. “Throughout my life people have helped me, now I want to help you.” Born and raised in Atlantic City during the days of Nucky Johnson’s “Boardwalk Empire” Peggy would find herself on a path that led to Trenton, where she would pay her way through college during the height of the Great Depression, help raise and take-care of her younger brother with special needs, to living and working at the U.S.O. in Newfoundland and being a ski instructor, to the moun-
tains and valleys of New Hampshire, traveling throughout Europe and the world with Miss America, and finally to the shores of Ocean City. Through all of her travels, adventures, jobs and challenges, her legacy and person are best exemplified in her sacrificial love, especially for her brother Sonny. “My great interest was in dyslexia, because of Sonny. He was unable to read or write, though he could sign his name beautifully,” she said, picking up one of the wooden ducks from the mantel, turning it over and pointing at the elegant cursive lettering. “Sonny was an incredible artist; he sculpted all of these by hand.” Coming from a family of teachers, Peggy taught Sonny and took classes in special education. Her interest and care for her brother helped shape her career which would eventually take her on the road as a teacher promoting scholarships, commentating, and arranging press conferences for Miss America. Having volunteered at the pageant in Atlantic City for many years, her efforts and dedication didn’t go unnoticed. She was plucked from teaching in Margate and asked to fill the traveling position with what was the largest scholarship foundation in the world for women. Upstairs in her memory-encased house hang photos of Peggy with the Miss America women in front of renowned landmarks throughout Europe as well as with past U.S. Presidents including Harry
A magnificent painting by Peggy’s younger brother Sonny. “To me, that bird is Sonny,” she said. Truman and Richard Nixon. “And that right there,” she said, pointing to a sturdy wooden bookshelf, “Is the boardwalk.” In 1927, when the Ocean City boardwalk burnt down, Peggy’s father was in charge of the rebuilding, using only local laborers and working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., finishing the job ahead of schedule. Using the leftover wood from the original boardwalk, her father constructed a bookshelf for her to take to college. Recently, when Peggy heard that pipes and concrete had to start being replaced on the boardwalk due to being almost 100-years-old, she couldn’t help but smile and say, “Dad, when you did something, it was built to last and it stayed done.” Despite her travels, the sea was always a part of Peggy’s life. Beckoning her back to the coast, along with her deep love and appreciation for the arts, Ocean City called her home. “Well, you know,” she said, “if you look in my shoes you’ll find that I have sand in them from walking on the beach.” Peggy Lloyd found her place in The Sun and offered me a marvelous glimpse into her epic existence. Peggy, if you’re reading this, thanks for helping me.