At 5am California time on Friday, you probably felt a flow of pure and happy energy race by. Peggy has always been on the move – never resting a minute – and now she has continued her journey. On her terms and in her way.
With incredible relief that her pain is over – but with profound grief and deep love – I am typing these words to let you know that Peggy passed Friday morning in her sleep. I was awake and right by her side. She was fast asleep and in no pain when it happened.
I firmly believe that she literally willed her body to do what she wanted it to do.
As you know — but I feel very compelled to say it again here to help us better understand her strength — Peggy has been in non-stop horrible pain since the end of February. 8 straight months. I doubt anyone reading this can truly understand what that really means. I have been a witness every day, and I still don’t comprehend what that must be like – and how someone has the gumption to keep pushing forward hour after hour. Peggy did.
But Peggy would be super mad at me if our focus was on her pain. She NEVER let the pain and the cancer define her. Never.
Instead, she kept living her life on her terms, and kept engaged and doing fun things with her wonderful circle of family and friends around her.
Peggy is the Renaissance-woman. Peggy has been a passionate and devoted mother for Brian and Tommy, an amazing wife for me for 36 years, a school teacher, a camper, a woodworker, a coach, a designer/architect of outdoor living spaces, a scuba diver, a cook and cookie maker, a world traveler, a beach girl, a skydiver, an artist, a dancer, a sand angel pioneer, a sunrise and sunset aficionado — and a supremely curious soul who would take a real leap of faith to embrace a fun new experience.
I have had the wonderful luck to have run with Peggy for almost 38 years. She showed all of us her tremendous courage this past year — and she has shown all of us her pure joy of life from the moment each of us met her.
The “Celebration of Life” Gathering for Peggy is this Saturday, November 4. Please contact me if you would like the details. The initial planning suggests it will be an epic gathering – appropriate for the woman we all love so much.
With Love,
-Randy
The Facts: Peggy was born at 6am on Thursday, February 9, 1961, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1961 was a great vintage year for wines round the world. Peggy passed at 5:10am on Friday, October 27, 2017, in Poway, California from a battle with pleural mesothelioma cancer. 2017 was a tough year. Peggy’s Mom and Dad are Jane and Jim Kossen, and she had 5 sisters and brothers: Ann, Jimmy, Dennis, Mary Jane, Chris, and Andy. Peggy went to Princeton High School, and graduated with a degree in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati. Peggy and I were married on September 5, 1981 – Brian was born on July 1, 1983, Tommy was born January 14, 1990, and Brian and Elisa were married June 6, 2015. Peggy rocked the world every single day.
Photos – don’t be upset if I missed a great one with you and Peggy! 😉
Peggy's Journey 
Randy, I had the awesome experience of knowing Peggy for a week on the cruise in Belize. I could tell she was an amazing woman who loved life and
Faced death as an unwanted guest. I would like to send you a picture of her doing the “warrior “
pose on top of the catamaran. One day Peggy
was on top taking in the breeze and doing some poses. I asked if she knew the warrior pose and she said no so I showed her and she did it perfectly
and commented how good it made her feel. If you would send me your email, I will send it to you.
Also, I celebrated my 60th birthday on that trip.
In the afternoon, she asked how long it had been since I mooned someone! So right then and there
she stripped down along with Jeanine and myself
and into the water we went. We all turned our backside s up. I have pictures of that too but not very flattering!
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What a wonderful tribute! Peggy was and will always be remembered as a wonderful loving and strong person so full of life! I will always remember her warm smile and loving kindness. I know she is at peace.
Randy, my heartfelt condolences to you, Brian, Tommy and the entire extended family. We were all blessed by Peggy and I pray her memory burns bright in all our hearts.
Donn Holtzman
On Sun, Oct 29, 2017 at 8:45 PM, Peggy’s Journey wrote:
> peggyisawesome posted: “At 5am California time on Friday, you probably > felt a flow of pure and happy energy race by. Peggy has always been on > the move – never resting a minute – and now she has continued her > journey. On her terms and in her way. With incredible relief that ” >
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All weekend I’ve been thinking of you, Randy, and all the people Peggy knew and loved, holding you up in this time of sorrow. We loved seeing Peggy on her New Year’s trip to Seattle. What a light she was for so many, and now is at peace.
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Dear Randy,
I don’t know if you remember me or not but I’m Jim Kossen’s secretary. I wanted to express my deepest condolences to you and your sons for the loss of your wife and their mother. From the moment I found out about Peggy’s illness I have kept her in my thoughts and prayers. I cherished her blogs and her strength to share her story with all of us. When I heard of her passing my heart was heavy with sorrow. I wish I could have found the magic potion to end her illness but unfortunately I could not. However I will make a donation in her name to help find a cure for the horrible disease that she struggled with in hopes that no one else will ever know her pain.
I know there are no words to ease this devastating loss that you are dealing with. For that I find comfort. I know that sounds strange but had Peggy been a horrible person no one would be grieving for her especially so deeply. The fact that so many of us carry her loss deep in our heart tells of the woman she was and of the life she lived and how blessed we were. May that offer you comfort in knowing she made the world a better place and that her actions will continue to bring love and laughter in to our lives even though she is physically gone.
Whether you were a family member, close friend or an extension of someone close to her, she made our lives better. She brought education about mesothelioma and the suffering it brings. She taught us compassion. She taught us courage and she taught us to come together as one. Through her we found strength and forever and always she will be in our hearts.
To Heaven I whisper, “Goodbye Peggy, thank you for being AWESOME!”
Know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers,
Jackie Day
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OMG Randy, I am so sorry for your loss. I did not know your beloved Peggy, but I could tell her spirit and joy of family and life was immense.
Even though you could see the inevitable of what her illness would bring, it does not make it any less easy to deal with.
My thoughts are with you and your boys and what the coming days and months will bring. You all are a hardy bunch and have each other to cry with and remember with.
Hugs to all of you!
Xoxo Tamara
Sent from my iPad
>
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Randy, Tommy, Brian, & Family, Jody & I are so sorry to hear of Peggy’s passing. She is now free from her pain, yet we are now in pain due to her loss. We will forever miss her Joy & Enthusiasm, & hold forever in our Hearts the wonderful opportunity we had to know her. Our Thoughts & Prays are with you All.
Shawn & Jody Tieszen
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Randy, What an incredible tribute to such an amazing woman. She had only touched my life with kindness, compassion and that incredible drive for fun and exploration. Our prayers are with you, Brian and Tommy as you find your way without her
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Dear Randy,
Your tribute was a gift to me; I treasured Peggy’s messages on this blog and now, you have filled me in on so much about her that I did not know. Thank you and my deepest condolences on your loss. Your determination to do all that could be done was so inspiring to both Craig and me. I did not know her well before she got sick and then, I got to know her during the biggest trial of her life. Her bravery and honesty were awe-inspiring!
Sending big hugs and love to you and all the family,
Barbara (Corinne’s Mom) and Craig
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Dearest Cousin Randy
Your beautiful tribute to Peggy is truly a written work of art and love. I hope you will save it for your grandchildren to read someday. They will need to know about their grandmother and how much you loved one another! Over the past year I have shared her journey, commiserated with the effects of chemo, and written notes of friendship and encouragement… some even successfully went through the website! The three of us share our roots and youth at University of Cincinnati… I have wished our country wasn’t quite so huge so we could all gather more easily as family to support one another. However I have recognized you have wonderful “family” in California as we do in Chicago. People chosen to be our loved ones, to travel with us through life, know our souls, and love us more completely than mere DNA. I have seen these wonderful people with you over the past year in photos and Peggy’s journal and I know they will be with you in the time to come. If I were closer I would embrace them with gratitude!
Peggy’s Celebration will undoubtedly be a joyful time, filled with tears and laughter. I am sorry we will be in Illinois, however I will continue to thank God for Peggy’s life and love on this Earth. I will remember her bravery and joyful life for as long as I live. And, I will keep you and your family in my prayers for healing as you grieve.
One of Peggy’s parting gifts has been to give me a glimpse of my cousin’s life and family..I hope we don’t lose touch with one another.
My love to you all,
Carrie Kellogg Garbarek 421 Wilkins Drive Des Plaines, IL 60016 847-309-7629 (cell)
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A beautiful testament to a beautiful lady. Although I only had the pleasure of meeting Peggy once, she lived through stories told to me by Ann and Andy, my friends. Treasure the 38 years, priceless.
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Just learning of Peggy’s passing via the Princeton High School memorial page on Facebook. I’m so sorry for your loss. We all grew up together in Ohio and ran the streets in Evendale & Sharonville, our hometowns. Peggy always had a smile for everyone and would spread cheer wherever she went. There were two festivals we attended every year – St. Michael’s and the Fireman’s festival – and we were all there, being girls. I pray Peggy’s bright and beautiful spirit lives within everyone touched by her life. God bless you all.
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