Apr 2, 2021 4 min read

Diana Irey Vaughan knew Peg Wilson quite well and for quite a while. Irey Vaughan has been a Washington County commissioner since 1995, about the time Wilson became involved with the Greater Washington County Food Bank.

They worked together on a number of initiatives, and fostered a mutual respect that endures with the commissioners chair.

“Peg cared very deeply about her community,” Irey Vaughan said Thursday afternoon. “She worked very hard in her mission to eliminate food insecurity and built a great number of partnerships.”

Margaret Jean Wilson, 91, board president of the Centerville-based food bank, died on Sunday at Premier Washington Health Center. She also was a longtime political figure, serving on state and county Democratic committees, including time on the latter’s executive board.

Irey Vaughan, a Republican, laughed as she recalled Wilson once saying to her: “I can’t violate party bylaws, but I am for you.”

Those who knew her say Wilson was passionate in her pursuits. Doing what she could to ensure food security, however, may have been her calling card. In a brief anecdote on the food bank website, Wilson provided insight behind her nutrition-related motivation.

Wilson said she was working at the county courthouse in the 1990s when she encountered “numerous people coming through the system that had minor infractions against them. When I talked to them, I found a common theme, they were hungry. I found that many were struggling to feed their families and resorted to petty theft to get money for food.

“Hearing this broke my heart and I thought something had to be done.”

So she began to volunteer at the food bank and “was able to connect the families that needed food with the right resources.”

That passion carried over to the political arena as well, and led to Wilson receiving the Legacy of Leadership award for service to the party in 2018.

“She was involved (in politics) for 50-plus years,” said Christina Proctor, chair of the Washington County Democratic Committee. “I got involved four years ago and she warmly welcomed me in. She invited me to all of the events she attended and introduced me. She was very kind and generous with her time.”

The pandemic, of course, has curtailed countless gatherings – political and otherwise – over the past 13 months. “But before that, at age 89.” Proctor said, “she attended everything. She did not slow down and her mind was as clear as could be. She was incredibly involved. Peg was loved by all.”

That love was reciprocated, said a food bank employee who preferred to remain anonymous. “Peg was very much a grandmother figure. She always wanted the staff to know how appreciated we were – and loved. I can’t stress enough how much she was there for us.”

The food bank expressed its appreciation for Wilson on its website this week, with a remembrance titled, “Celebrating the Wonderful Life of Margaret Jean ‘Peg’ Wilson.” It reads in part:

“A life of impact – loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, community leader and activist, and Food Bank Board of Directors President. Your life was a blessing. Your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. Forever in our hearts.

“… Peg’s love for the food insecure of Washington County made her an invaluable asset to insure that ‘no one goes to bed hungry.’

“Peg was the ultimate ambassador for Greater Washington County Food Bank. You could find Peg at the Produce to People distribution, at our fundraising events, and our holiday parties.”

In her honor, the Greater Washington County Food Bank has set up a Peg Wilson Memorial Fund, with all donations going to new food distribution programs in underserved areas or populations in the county.