Obituary: Margaret “Peggy” Charette
July 17, 1944 – March 12, 2026
March 19, 2026
Margaret "Peggy" Charette, 1944-2026
Margaret “Peggy” (Alexander) Charette, 81, of Waterbury, Vermont, peacefully took her last breath on March 12, 2026, in the arms of her daughter, Colleen, and surrounded by so much love from her angel caregivers at Woodridge Nursing Home and Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, due to complications of Parkinson's Disease.
She was generous, kind, endlessly supportive, loved the color yellow, had a wicked sense of humor (and sweet tooth) and everywhere she went, she never met a stranger.
Peggy's story began 81 years ago in a scrappy Irish Catholic household on the second floor of a “triple-decka” outside Boston with her parents and three beloved siblings. Her strength and independence took root early, having a truck driver Dad and a Mom who left this earth when she was much too young.
In her 20s, joining Northeast “Yellowbird” Airlines was her ticket to see the world, leading to endless adventures with friends around Europe, and she often proudly reminisced about getting to bring her Dad on ancestral trips to Galway and Baden-Baden.
As fate would have it, she met a charming guy named Ron, who lived in a houseboat while working in the ticket office in Miami, and they soon fell in love, got married, and welcomed their daughter, Colleen. After a few years, they decided to leave their regular beach weekends hunting seashells in the Keys behind when a merger with Delta Airlines opened up a new opportunity for Ron in Texas.
Thanks to Peggy’s genuine curiosity and friendliness, the former Yankees quickly settled into life in a small Texas town, making friends, learning about things like rodeos and BBQ, taking lots of vacations (thank you, Delta), and creating so many beautiful family memories along the way.
After several years staying home full-time, Peggy chose to take a leap toward higher education. She famously caused endless giggles as a student teacher when her Vietnamese ESL students were heard in the halls speaking with a Boston accent (she never could pronounce her “r’s” fully).
After graduating from Texas Woman’s University, she dedicated the rest of her career to teaching medically fragile students with severe and profound disabilities at Jo Kelly School in Fort Worth. She loved her students and their families greatly, and while most were non-verbal, she had a gift for seeing each child as a whole human being fully capable of connecting with the outside world, just in their own unique way. Her classroom was filled with creativity, music, silliness and laughter, and over the years, she made lifelong friends with several of her amazing coworkers.
After retiring, Peggy and Ron decided to follow Colleen, her husband Jeremy, and granddaughter Maya to Vermont. In her new role as Grammy, Peggy provided endless support and love to Maya and served in many ways as her second mom. Many a day was spent doing crafts (with SO much glitter!), playing in the snow, drinking cocoa, and going on adventures to places like Echo, Vermont Teddy Bear, Trapp Family Lodge, and more.
Peggy cherished traveling to see extended family often, especially her sisters in Boston, Florida, and Martha's Vineyard. She loved nature and always took the time to point out a beautiful sky or flower wherever she went. Before Parkinson’s disease took hold fully, she would often be seen walking all around her Vermont village or sipping coffee on the train station porch bench, just people watching.
Although her instinct to chat up random strangers in line or brag about her family’s latest accomplishments to anyone in earshot was likely to make Colleen cringe as a tween, as time went on, she soon began to realize Peggy’s genuine kindness and curiosity was actually her superpower.
Peggy believed in and supported her family and friends unconditionally. Even through her hardest days as her illness progressed, she found meaningful connections with everyone who crossed her path and always made sure she learned everyone’s name and personal tidbits about their lives.
Each and every staff member at Woodridge, no matter their role, became extended family, and in her final hours, they gave great comfort to Colleen, sharing their tears, hugs, sweet stories about pictures she drew for them, or how they had a copy of a poem she wrote on their fridge at home.
Peggy is survived by her husband of 55 years, Ronald Charette; daughter Colleen Garrett and husband Jeremy; grandchildren Maya Garrett, Daniel Nystrom, Tiffany Galvez and her husband Michael, Joseph Nystrom, Andrew Nystrom; sisters Joanne Krim, Mary Ellen Foster; sister-in-law Jacquie Alexander; step-daughter Patricia Nystrom and husband Jay; 11 much-loved nieces and nephews, and their spouses and children; and her dear friends in Texas: Victoria Quick, Eileen Snead and Beulah Moore.
Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, John and Anna (Carr) Alexander; her brother, John Alexander; her husband's parents, three sisters-in-law and three brothers-in-law; and many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins.
A private celebration of life will be held in Massachusetts later this year. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Online condolences may be made at perkinsparker.com.