Margaret Edwards ‘Peggy’ Durham, 87
Margaret Edwards “Peggy” Durham, 87, died April 8, 2026, in Peterborough, New Hampshire, after a brief illness. She had been a resident of Rivermead Lifecare Community since 2019.
Peggy was born in Detroit on July 8, 1938, the daughter of Dr. Robert H. Durham and Mary Louise (Edwards) Durham. She attended Detroit Country Day School and graduated from what became known as Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1956. She was an active student who earned letters in field hockey and basketball, enjoyed bowling, and won many swimming ribbons. She then attended Pembroke College (now Brown University) in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating with a bachelor’s in psychology in 1960.
Following college, she went to work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a premier research facility, as an assistant in the psychology group and later with MIT’s urban planning department. She settled in Acton and was a longtime resident of the Conantum neighborhood, where she raised her family. She held several jobs in the community, including deputy town clerk and executive director of the Acton Chamber of Commerce, plus a stint in administration at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She also served on town committees including the Board of Appeals and, in the spirit of selfless public service, on the so-called “Bathroom Committee.” She also volunteered in the Emerson Hospital Aftercare Program and for Gen Counihan’s political campaigns and was active in the League of Women Voters.
True to her Detroit roots, Peggy loved Motown and also jazz. She had an eye for artwork — principally modern, later branching into Western-themed and Navajo art. She was a devoted dog lover who also had a soft spot for cats.
Peggy maintained her interest in sports, ranging from a 1960s Boston ski club to tennis, frequently playing mixed doubles with local friends. She later joined the Acton Runners club and participated in dogsledding and car racing. She was an avid traveler, frequently touring Europe and the American West, plus adventures in Alaska, Hawaii, Tanzania, and Zambia. She hiked and camped in many a rugged setting.
After some decades in Acton, she followed her lifelong love of the Rocky Mountains and resettled in Evergreen, Colorado, where she became a mainstay of the local Audubon Society and other nature-oriented associations. After 17 years there, she saw the prudence in coming down from 7,500 feet and relocating near her New England family.
Peggy remained in touch with her loyal college friend group through 70 years, attending annual get-togethers, the Class of 1960 reunion at Brown in 2010, and their more recent monthly Zoom calls.
Survivors include two children Elizabeth D. Smith of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, and Robert E. Smith of Geneva; daughter-in-law Trudy Harpham of Geneva; a granddaughter Victoria Lorvig of London and her husband Dylan Millington; brothers Robert H. Durham Jr. and Sidney Durham; and nieces Betsy Floyde and Emily Durham. Longtime Acton friends include Ardis Stiffler Bordman, Brant and the late Molly Johnson, the late Kelly Howe, and many others.
Peggy was predeceased by her first husband William B. Smith and second husband E. Cary Brown.
A memorial service is planned for June 6 in Acton. For details, please call (603) 320-7362.
