Margaret Rose (Peggy) Glenn Coy (1970-2024)

Peggy’s Wonderful Life

It was a special day on April 29,1970 when Margaret Rose (Peggy) came into the world as the tenth child of Gerard and Patricia Glenn. As the youngest, Peggy was admittedly her parents’ favorite and not a single sibling ever resented that fact. This was because from the moment of her arrival she brought a spirit of joyful exuberance to our family and immediately entered a special place in all our hearts.

Peggy grew up in our family’s beloved Southwest Reno neighborhood where she was known and loved as quite a character even from toddlerhood. Nearly everyone on Berkeley Drive and Barnes Boulevard knew her well as she’d walk the neighborhood and knock on doors to tell a joke, ask for a snack or just to say hello. Mom only would find out later what she’d been up to when someone would share that they’d had a nice visit with Peg. When she was about 8, our family moved about a mile away to Dublin Court and she made friends there as well. Peggy ingratiated herself to Countess Angela Dandini who lived behind us and she was invited for tea often. It was a great time to be a kid and Peg took full advantage of the freedom children had in that era.

She attended our Catholic parish school, Our Lady of the Snows, where she had many friends and made lots of great memories. After Snows, she followed the established Glenn path to Bishop Manogue High School. She loved being a Miner cheerleader and could still recite Manogue cheers from memory. She enjoyed managing the girls’ volleyball team and even got a trip to Europe out of that gig! Though known as a social butterfly and wonderful friend to many, she was a serious student and graduated in 1988 at the top of her class. More importantly she was voted by her fellow classmates as “Teachers’ Pet” which testifies to her multi-generational personality appeal.

From there it was on to the University of Nevada, Reno, where she immediately found a delightful group of friends when she joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority (the seventh Glenn sister to do so). There she held many leadership positions and offices, made her closest friends and all in all enjoyed college life to the fullest. She would often bring her friends to visit our parents at their home, where they were always welcomed and had a very friendly rapport with Pat and Gerry who enjoyed their energy and fun in their nearly “empty nest”. Peggy always brought joy with her wherever she went!

Peggy graduated from Orvis School of Nursing in 1992 and began her career at Saint Mary’s as a night shift telemetry nurse. Her nursing career continued with a move in 1993 to the beautiful city of Seattle, where she met her husband Dr. David Coy and her life was changed forever!

In Seattle Peggy worked at Virginia Mason in the ICU and quickly distinguished herself as an outstanding and compassionate nurse to her patients. She mentored and helped train many new nurses and surgical and medical residents. She was a strong clinical leader and in 2005 was recognized as one of the outstanding employees of the year. In her final two years at Virginia Mason Peggy transitioned to the informatics team to implement and oversee nursing documentation in the new electronic medical record.

Over 24 years of marriage Dave and Peggy raised their son Will together and went through the ups and downs of life (mostly ups!) as a happy, loving, and devoted couple. When Peggy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor she valiantly went through surgeries, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy without complaint to give herself every chance of seeing Will grow up - and she succeeded in seeing and helping Will to develop into a fine young man. The years together as a family were marked by many beautiful experiences and times spent with family and friends at home and on trips to Reno, Hawaii, British Columbia, Mount Rainier, and Europe.

Her loving husband Dave made the heart-wrenching decision to move Peggy to Reno in February of last year due to the difficulty of in-home caregiving in Seattle and her declining physical mobility. Our mom Pat had a wonderful caregiving team in place (Mimi, Flora and Maris) and a beautiful bedroom with a window on the world that Peg loved to gaze out of and see who was coming and going. She even directed Mimi to prune the rhododendron bush back she so she could have a better view! She was able to be near our Mom Pat until she passed last May and both of them treasured that time together.

Through her upbringing and entire life Peggy held fast to her Catholic faith, always observant in Mass attendance and a dedicated prayer warrior. She did not waver in her beliefs even in adversity but was always joyful. She knew deep down that it was her faith, husband, son and family that would get her through life. As a close friend recounted, “she made you believe that good people lead happier lives.”

Peggy had many visits with her local family and friends, and her sister Kathleen was a very special comfort to her both emotionally and with nursing care. Thank you, Kate, for your devoted love and care for Peggy from all of us.

Peggy especially appreciated the dedicated weekly Divine Mercy group visits for over a year led by Josie and her other lifelong Theta sister friends, who provided not only prayer but also laughter and reliving of wonderful memories from college. They gave a birthday party, a Christmas sing-along complete with Santa hats and cocoa and finally, a Snoopy party all dressed alike in Snoopy sweatshirts, as that was the traditional big to little sister gift begun by Missy and carried on through Peg and then to Stacy! Her closest buddies, the “Three Musketeers” as we call them, Alannah, Joelle and Kerri, made additional weekly visits to keep Peg’s spirits high.

Of course, she lit up most at the very sight of her beloved David and Will when they arrived on their many regular, dedicated visits and innumerable phone and FaceTime calls. She held steady for many months, but inevitably her decline became pronounced over several weeks and it became clear God was calling her home to Him. On February 18, 2024, with David by her side, Peggy passed on to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Her spirit is embedded deeply in our hearts and we all will continue to feel her love and guidance.

Going forward for those left here on earth, we know she will make her presence felt. David and Will will return to their beautiful home in Green Lake, which Peggy adored and decorated beautifully and welcomed and entertained family and friends in so often. The two of them will wake before dawn every morning and take their walk around the lake as all three did since Will was an infant in a backpack on Dave’s back. Now as Dave and Will finish that morning journey and the sun rises and spreads its glow, they will know Peggy is sending them her joyful light and love from heaven and assuring them all will be well and to always remember – “Be Brave, Choose Courage.”

Peggy’s Family

Peggy is survived by her loving husband Dr. David Coy and their son William Glenn Coy; siblings Michael (Lucy) Glenn, Mary Pat (James) Hawkins, Jennifer (Robert) Howard, Sharon (Robert) Pratt, John “Jack” (Sonja) Glenn, Kathleen (Vince) Rossi, Maureen (Jeff) Klippenstein, Anne (John) Bydalek, and Gerry (Elizabeth) Glenn; and their families including 29 nieces and nephews and their spouses, and 19 great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents Dr. Gerard and Patricia Glenn and her mother-in-law Jean Coy.

Services:

Recitation of the Holy Rosary, Friday March 8, 6pm

Waltons, 875 W. Second Street, Reno

Mass of the Resurrection, Saturday March 9, 11am

Our Lady of the Snows Church, 1138 Wright St, Reno

Reception to follow Mass, location announced at church.

Memorial Mass, Saturday April 20, 1 pm

Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 9th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98105

Reception to follow Mass, location announced at church.

Internment will be private, at a later date.

Memorials are welcome in Peggy’s name to:

Dominican Friars - Western Dominican Province

5877 Birch Court

Oakland, CA 94618

https://raisedonors.com/opwest/donate

Nevada Right to Life

PO Box 18924

Reno, NV 89511

Nevadarightotlife.org

Serra Club of Reno

Glenn Fund for Diocesan Seminarians

PO Box 1585

Reno, NV 89505