Margaret McElroy Campbell died peacefully on May 25, 2026, sitting in the sun outside her home. She was 97. Born on July 28, 1928, she was known as “Mam” to her 7 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, and as Peg to friends and family. She was raised in Richmond, VA, where she attended St. Catherine’s School before graduating from Oldfields School in 1946, and then from Bennett Junior College in 1948. While working for the CIA in Washington, DC, Peg reconnected with Robert A. Campbell, and they married in 1955, a steadfast union that lasted until Bob’s death in 2002.
An avid reader and world traveler, Peg delighted in sharing captivating stories and special treats from her candy drawer with her grandchildren. She was a skilled tennis player who won the Virginia State Doubles title in 1953. Though she lost an eye to cancer in the 1960s, Peg continued to be a talented athlete, playing paddle tennis, tennis and golf, the latter two into her early nineties.
Peg’s grandparents spent summers on Fishers Island starting in 1909, and were among the earliest members of Hay Harbor. Peg and her husband, Bob (also from a longtime Fishers Island summer family), spent many happy years playing golf and tennis, gardening (in impossible soil), picking wild berries, and enjoying family time on the deck overlooking the Dumplings and Flat Hammock. She sailed her Sunfish, “Puffin,” almost every day, with her children or grandchildren as crew. She thoroughly enjoyed keeping her mind sharp with regular Bridge games, and had lively luncheons and cocktail parties with many friends.
Peg was the heart and soul, and graceful leader, of her large, loving family. Though not a gourmet, she was an expert on lemon pepper spice and was convinced it would enliven just about any food. Her morning coffee ritual often included grandchildren, who left toasted muffin crumbs in her bed. Generous, but practical, her solution for cold weather and rising oil prices was, “put on another layer.” She was a firm believer in “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle;” if needed, you could always find a rubber band on a doorknob or a paper bag folded away in the broom closet.
Peg joined the Garden Club of New Haven in 1961 and held nearly every club position. She served as president from 1993-1995 and received the Waterman Bowl in 2001. In 2023, the Garden Club honored her with the creation of The Campbell Centennial Award which celebrates the accomplishments of members who served the club over many years with active committee involvement and offer wise counsel and historical perspective. She was a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America for over 60 years, and also a member of the North End Club, New Haven Lawn Club and Hay Harbor Club.
Peg was predeceased by her husband, Bob, her brother, Randolph McElroy, son-in-law, Timothy Grimes, and dear friend, Horace Crary.
She is survived by her brother, Jack McElroy, of Richmond, VA, her daughter Margaret Lamere (Rich), of Hamden, CT, her son, Robert Campbell (Suzanne), of Middlebury, CT, her daughter, Susan Grimes, of Hamden, CT, and her grandchildren, Jamie Lamere, Hunter Lamere (Sara), Bobby Campbell (Lauren), Will Campbell, Abbe Montaldo (Scott), Hannah Cashel (Tripp), Maggie Grimes, and 10 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
