Peggy Carroll

Margaret Ann Rose (English) Carroll

Remembering Peggy

June 16, 1934 – October 29, 2026

Margaret Ann Rose Carroll (née English), affectionately known as Peggy and Honey, was the beloved wife of the late Roger Carroll.

Peggy grew up in Dogtown in the house built by her grandparents, Jim and Mamie Harris. The house remains in the family and was a place where Peggy could often be found celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with family and friends, enjoying corned beef and good company. It is a family tradition that will continue.

Peggy was strong-willed and independent, never afraid to speak her mind or stand up for what she believed in. Quiet and reserved were two words that no one would ever use to describe her.

Growing up in St. Louis, Peggy enjoyed riding the streetcars downtown with her grandmother to go shopping. She also rode the streetcars to her various jobs, working at a movie theater, a drugstore, and aboard the Admiral riverboat on the Mississippi River. On the Admiral, she first worked as a telephone operator and later as a cashier.

Years later, Peggy continued the tradition of downtown shopping, this time taking the bus with her own children.

One Christmas Eve, Peggy and the children headed downtown to shop for Roger’s Christmas present: a set of canoe paddles. Unfortunately, when it came time to return home, the bus driver refused to let them board with the paddles.

With no ride home, Peggy and the children began walking toward police headquarters, where Roger was working, so he could drive them home. Fortunately, a police officer who knew the family spotted them and offered them a ride to headquarters.

The family made it home safely, but there was one unfortunate consequence: Roger found out exactly what he was getting for Christmas!

Peggy was a lifelong learner, although some of her most important lessons were not necessarily found in textbooks.

She graduated from St. James Grade School in 1948, where she learned that, much to her disappointment, there was no St. Peggy.

She continued her education at St. Mark’s Academy for Young Ladies, graduating in 1952, where she learned the importance of standing up for herself.

At Harris Teachers College, Peggy discovered the game of bridge, which would become a lifelong passion and provide countless hours of enjoyment, friendship, and perhaps a little friendly competition.

Peggy graduated from Harris Teachers College in January 1957 and began a long career in education. She spent most of her career with St. Louis Public Schools, with a brief period in the Riverview Gardens School District.

She began as an elementary school teacher before becoming a reading specialist, helping young students develop their reading skills. She later became a traveling librarian, serving elementary and middle schools throughout the district. Eventually, she settled into her role as librarian at Roosevelt High School.

In the 1990s, Peggy attended the University of Missouri, earning a master’s degree in Library Science, where she learned how to run a quiet library. Whether everyone remained quiet is another matter.

While attending Mizzou, Peggy spent a summer living on campus with Lisa W., staying Monday through Friday and returning home on weekends.

Peggy married Roger Carroll in 1959, after he chased her to Chicago. Together, they raised their family, creating a lifetime of memories along the way.

The family first lived near the airport before moving to the house that would remain Peggy’s home for the rest of her life.

A devoted member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, Peggy was a strong supporter of the parish and particularly enthusiastic about lighting candles.

She was actively involved in Scouting, supporting her children in their activities and adventures. For many years, she also ran the bingo games at the annual school picnic, helping make the event a memorable occasion for generations of parish families.

When her children reached high school, Peggy continued her active involvement in their education, volunteering at both Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) and Cor Jesu Academy. She participated in the Mothers’ Clubs, helped decorate for school plays and auctions, and even spent part of a summer break helping clean up CBC. When the Christian Brothers needed bedsheets, Peggy helped organize donations to make sure they had what they needed.

For Peggy, supporting her children’s schools didn’t end when the school day was over. If something needed to be done, she was willing to roll up her sleeves and help.

Peggy belonged to several bridge clubs and other card-playing groups. For her, cards were more than just a game; they were an opportunity for friendship, conversation, and the occasional well-earned victory. Her love of bridge eventually took her online, where she partnered with a woman who became a longtime, long-distance friend. What began as an online bridge partnership grew into a friendship that continued through regular telephone conversations.

When she wasn’t playing bridge or another card game, Peggy enjoyed reading murder mysteries and working on word-search puzzles. Whether solving a fictional crime or finding a hidden word, she always enjoyed a good challenge.

She was also a good alley neighbor, one of those people who helped make a neighborhood feel like a community.

When it was time to call her children or grandchildren home, Peggy had no need for a telephone. Her voice could be heard within a five-mile radius, and there was never any doubt about who was being called or that it was time to come home.

Family camping and canoe trips were part of life with the Carroll family. Peggy and her family spent many summers at Fox Spring Lodge, where she enjoyed playing cards with the ladies while the children were swimming. There were also tubing trips down the Meramec River and evenings spent enjoying the activities Walter would organize and run.

The family’s love of spending time together near the water eventually extended to the Lake of the Ozarks, where Peggy and Roger purchased a house. Peggy was also a member of the Pine Grove Homeowners Association. The lake house became another part of the family’s vacation memories and traditions.

Those summers created lasting memories for the entire family. Peggy believed strongly in safety on and around the water, a lesson her children and other family members would not soon forget. Right, Mike?

In 1997, Peggy underwent bypass surgery. Afterward, her family wanted to make sure her memory was still sharp, so they asked her for the Cadice family’s telephone number. Without hesitation, Peggy recited it perfectly. Everyone knew she was going to be just fine.

There was only one problem. Peggy was the only one who knew the number by heart, so while she was in surgery, nobody had been able to call the Cadice family to let them know how she was doing.

Above all, Peggy’s life centered on her family, her faith, her friends, and the many small traditions that made life memorable.

She leaves behind a family filled with stories, memories, and perhaps a few lessons they learned along the way.

Peggy was preceded in death by her husband, Roger Carroll and parents John Francis & Margaret Rose (nee Harris) English.

She is survived by her children; James Carroll and wife Carla, Margaret Ellen "Maggie" Carroll and husband David Kloeppel and Bridget Carroll; grandchildren Maire Mairead (Mamie) Carroll and husband William Richens, Anne Marie Carroll, Ellen Ruth Carroll, Louis Charles Kloeppel and wife Christina and David Roger Frederick Kloeppel; great-grandchildren Brendan (BCF), Rory, Alice, Genevieve, Mary Brigid, Alicia and Anton.  

Peggy was a loving sister-in-law to Sis and Sue-Sue, a loving and supportive Godmother to Tom and Mark, an aunt to many, and a friend to many more.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 4pm until 8pm @ John L. Ziegenhein & Sons City Chapel, 7027 Gravois Avenue.  Mass will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2026 @ 11am @ St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, 6303 Nottingham Ave.  Interment following Mass at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial contribution in honor of Peggy to Christian Brothers College High School (CBC), 1850 De La Salle Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141.