Cover photo for Peggy Jean Thomas's Obituary
Peggy Jean Thomas Profile Photo
1936 Peggy 2020

Peggy Jean Thomas

December 28, 1936 — July 1, 2020

Davenport Crystal Lake

Memorial Services for Peggy Jean Thomas, of McHenry, will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, 461 Pierson St., Crystal Lake, IL.  A reception will follow the service on the church lawn.

The family will convene for private graveside services that afternoon.

Peggy passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 following a long and full life. She was 83.

Peggy was born in Elgin on December 28, 1936 to the late John and Rose Emrich. She was the second of their three children. She grew up in Elgin and while in grade school she played in a trumpet trio that toured northeastern Illinois and played on the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour in Chicago. She attended Elgin High School where she was first-chair trumpeter in the band and orchestra and co-editor of the yearbook. After graduation she attended Elgin Community College and Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio.

While in high school she met her lifelong sweetheart and on January 25, 1958 married William “Weg” Thomas. Over the next few years, their family grew to include three sons and a daughter. They eventually settled into a big, old house on the Fox River in McHenry where their children grew up and their grandchildren visited for over 30 years. Later, she and Weg moved to a smaller home in McHenry where they lived for the past 20 years.

Peggy was a talented musician who was a founding member of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and, in later years, played with the Woodstock City Band. She also taught piano and trumpet for 35 years. She was also a partner in her husband’s advertising agency, WEG Studio, for 25 years.

Peggy was a very active member of First Congregational Church in Crystal Lake where she was also involved with the Women’s Fellowship and played in many concerts with the church’s brass ensemble.

While she will be missed by many, she will be missed most as the loving wife of Weg Thomas; beloved mother to Sean Thomas, Brett Thomas, and Kelly Hawthorne; cherished grandmother to Kendall, Mary Grace, Savannah and Katherine Thomas, Zoe and August Meyer-Thomas, Nathan and Jonathan Hawthorne; and great-grandmother to Roan Natschke.

In addition to her parents, Peggy was preceded in death by her grandsons, Wren Thomas and Nicholas Thomas; and her brother, John Emrich. Since Peggy’s passing, her son, Rob Thomas, died in November 2020 and her sister, Sally Emrich Pierce, died in March 2021

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Peggy Jean Thomas, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Memorial Service

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Starts at 10:00 am (Central time)

First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake

461 Pierson St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Reception

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)

First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake

461 Pierson St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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