Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Dunlop, 95, passed away at Heritage Hall, Nassawadox, on July 12, 2020. She was born in Babylon, N.Y., Oct. 10, 1924, to Dorothy (Ebbs) and Paul A. Abbott. Peggy and her sisters, Corinne and Lois, grew up in Babylon and graduated from Babylon High School. On Jan. 7, 1945, she married Robert “Bob” F. Dunlop, also of Babylon. They soon moved to their home in nearby West Islip, N.Y., where they raised three children, Robert P., Laurie, and Nancy Jeanne. Much time was spent sailing on the Great South Bay and at nearby Fire Island ocean beaches and their son’s cottage on Oak Island. In 1992, Peggy and Bob moved to Belle Haven to spend their retirement years. Much of that time was spent sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, exploring the Eastern Shore, and spending time with dear friends they met there.
Peggy was a longtime member of the Babylon Methodist Church, where she was financial secretary and a member of the Methodist Women. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. After moving to Belle Haven, Peggy and Bob became active members of the Craddockville United Methodist Church. She was again a member of the United Methodist Women and the DAR.
Peggy was lovingly devoted to all her family, generously giving of her time and energy to support them however possible. Birthdays, holidays, and special occasions were always cause for a party or picnic, including all her extended family that lived nearby. Friday nights were often spent playing cards with a group of friends. In addition to card games, Peggy enjoyed bowling, knitting, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and especially crossword puzzles. Always thoughtful and caring, she seldomly missed the opportunity to send greeting cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays to her extensive list of relatives and friends.
Peggy was predeceased by her parents, her sister Corinne (Abbott) Dein, and her husband of 70 years, Bob Dunlop. Surviving are her children, Robert P. (Lynn) Dunlop, of Babylon, Laurie D. (Lauren) Johnson, of Norwich, N.Y., and Nancy Dunlop (Stephen) Gilhooley, of Delmar, N.Y.; four grandchildren, Brooke J. (Bernhard) Klaus, of Taylorsville, Ky., Wade Johnson, of Oxnard, Calif., R. Kyle Dunlop, of Babylon, and Andrew (Erin Murphy) Dunlop, of Rock Tavern, N.Y.; three great-grandchildren; sister, Lois A. Ell, of Cleveland, Ohio; sister-in-law, Grace Crawley, of Belle Haven; and four nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Heritage Hall, Nassawadox, for caring for their mother all through the last four months of her life when they could not be with her because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A celebration of life service will be held at a later date at United Methodist Church of Babylon in Babylon, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Craddockville United Methodist Church, c/o Mrs. June Custis, P.O. Box 66, Craddockville, VA 23341.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.doughtyfuneralhome.com
