Margaret Hoovler

Margaret “Peg” Moranda Hoovler, 73, of Lynchburg and devoted wife of Gary Scott Hoovler, slipped quietly from this life to the next on Sunday, March 8, 2020 with her husband at her side.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Laura Miller (David), Jennifer Beverly (Tim), David Frederick (Kim), and Michael Hoovler (Bethany), and her cherished grandchildren Blake, Brittany, Emily, Sarah, Molly, Isaiah, Julia, Justin, Kaitlynn, Isaac, and Lydia, as well as many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.

Peg was preceded in death by her father George Edward Moranda, mother, Nancy Dowell Moranda, and only brother George Edward Moranda, Jr,

Peg was born July 13, 1946 in Little Rock, Arkansas, but as an “Army brat” she was destined to never remain in one place for long.  Shortly after World War II ended, her father moved the family to Port Hueneme, CA until he was recalled to the army in 1950 to serve in the Korean war.  While her father was serving in Japan and Korea, her mother moved the family back to Little Rock.  The family followed his change of station thereafter to the Pentagon, Fort Sill, Honolulu, back to the Pentagon, Fort Knox, and Madison, Wisconsin, where Peg graduated from Madison High School after attending seven different secondary schools.  After graduation, she attended Hendrix college.  Her nomadic upbringing left her with a cosmopolitan outlook on life and a deep appreciation for the value of diversity, the privilege of service, and the central role of faith in a life well-lived.

As a wife and mother, Peg had no higher priority than to nurture and protect her family.  She raised four wonderful children and one husband.  Peg and Gary met on a flight from Virginia to California, and their first date was at a restaurant in San Francisco’s China town.  They were married for over 40 years, and often commented how they had truly “left their hearts in San Francisco.”

Peg was happiest and most fulfilled when serving others by helping them to accomplish that which they needed but were unable to achieve alone.  As president of the local chapter of the Learning Disabilities Association, she traveled throughout Virginia to anywhere a student and his family were struggling under the burden of learning disabilities and against the weight of a ponderous bureaucracy.  Undaunted and undeterred by bureaucratic authority, she fought tirelessly on behalf of these disadvantaged children to ensure that they received the support they needed and to which they were entitled.  Many of those former students are now leading happier, more fulfilling lives as a result of her strong advocacy and support.

As a Hill City Master Gardener, she had little time for tending her own garden, since she was so busy with gardening projects for others, especially children and local schools.  As chairman for the Master Gardener’s third and fourth grade programs, Peg designed and installed new gardens on the grounds of local schools and created “Good bug – Bad Bug” project for kids, using laminated color photos of bugs on playing cards; instead of playing “go fish” they used the deck to play “go grub”, so kids could learn while playing.

Peg was also active in church life; few members of Timberlake Christian Church at the time will ever forget her gentle but effective persuasion as chairwoman of the Stewardship Committee.

While serving as Assistant to Randolph Macon Woman’s College Dean of Students, she was remembered for providing sound counsel to both the Dean and to numerous young women who came to regard Peg as a sage surrogate Mom as they confronted and surmounted new challenges of early adulthood far from home and their traditional support systems.

Later in life, Peg found a new service role caring for her ailing parents.  With her kids grown and through college, and with Gary on frequent out of state assignments, Peg traveled to California to provide progressively more caregiving to her parents as their health declined. She remained in this role until the passing of her father, at which time she helped her mother to sell their home and re-locate to Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg.

While becoming increasingly more limited in the last decade of her life by a progressive illness, she continued to persevere with characteristic courage and grit, beating all odds by surviving nearly eight years following diagnosis of brain cancer and stage 4 lung cancer.  The last 18 months of her life were under hospice care at home, and she is especially grateful for the many Centra Hospice staff and volunteers who helped Gary to care for her, including in particular Teena Stamper, Olinca, Ellen, Janet, and others too numerous to mention.

Peg lit up the life of her family and everyone else blessed by her affection and privileged by her friendship.  She will be sorely missed.

A Celebration of Peg’s Life will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday March 14 at Tree of Life with Pastor Mike Dodson officiating. A reception will follow the service.

 Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.