MARGARET (PEGGY) EVANS

Saratoga Springs, NY- Margaret Jeanette Evans, known as Peg or Peggy, died on April 28th, 2023 at Home of the Good Shepherd in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Peggy was born on November 14, 1925 on the Indiana farm of her parents Ralph Hoover Irwin and Dora Gray Irwin.  She would spend her first 18 years there, enjoying a happy childhood with her parents and her older sisters, Roberta, Julia and Jane.  The farm was a productive spread and Peg, among other things, learned her way around a kitchen helping her mother prepare meals for the farm hands, as well as for their family.

As a freshman at Purdue University, she began dating classmate Byron Evans with whom she soon fell in love.  They made plans to spend the rest of their lives together, but WWII was on and By, whose older brothers were already at war, heard the call of duty and enlisted.  After completing training as an infantryman, Byron was informed that he was being sent to an Army engineering training program at Oregon State University to complete his studies as a civil engineer.  Peg joined him there and, at the age of 19, they married.

And a storybook marriage it was.  "Peg 'n By" would be a moniker heard perhaps as often in coming years as either of their individual names alone.  For 71 years prior to By's death, they enjoyed a life rich with love, family, countless friends, and a wealth of experiences and adventures together.

Among other places, Byron's career as a school executive took them to several locales in Oregon, including two university towns and to what was then a very small hamlet high in the Cascade mountains; to an urban setting in Michigan; to RPI in Troy, NY; and finally to Saratoga Springs.

Everywhere they went, Peg was fully engaged with part-time employment, a great deal of volunteer work (including chairing the boards of Saratoga Performing Arts Center's Action Council and Troy's Vanderheyden Hall), hosting events for RPI and the public schools, and making a warm and nurturing home for the family that grew to include their two sons, Eric and Phil.

In retirement, they split the year between Saratoga, where Peggy ran a successful antiques business, and their home in Spring Hill, Florida where they were joined each winter by Peg's sister Jane.

If Peggy had a defining characteristic, it was an abiding interest in other people.  She was curious about everyone she met and loved to hear the histories and family stories of them all.  Not surprisingly, she had a great number of friends and acquired life-long new ones everywhere she went.

Peg was predeceased by her husband, her parents and her sisters.  She is survived by son Eric Evans (Anne) of Hanover, NH; son Philip Evans (Lisa) of Mechanicville, NY;  grandson Ryan Evans (Tina) and their sons Liam and Brenton of Pittsford, NY; granddaughter Katie Evans Skinner (Colin) and their daughters Ava, Evelyn and Claire of Hartland, VT; grandson Andrew Evans of Seattle, WA; and granddaughter Alison Evans Witmer (Josh) and their son Henry of Clifton Park, NY.

The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at Woodlawn Commons and Home of the Good Shepherd.

Relatives and friends are invited to call from 2-4 pm on Saturday May 6, 2023 at the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home, 628 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Gifts in lieu flowers can be sent to The Flower and Fruit Mission , P.O. Box 207, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com