Margaret Mary “Pegge” (Williams) Lang died on Tuesday December 13, 2022. She was 98, the widow of a well-known local city golfer Jerome “Jerry” Lang to whom she had been married for 41 years at the time of his death in 2001. ‘Pegge’ is survived by her 3 step daughters: Beverly (Lang) Baran, Rosalind (Lang) Davis of Boca Raton, FL and Janis (Lang) Price of Yarmouth, MA. She was also the fun loving grandmother of 8, as well as the great grandmother of 11 girls. (She would enjoy sharing this with everyone she met!) She is also survived by her close niece Susan Lang of Cambridge.
Pegge was born in Brockton, daughter of John J. and Delia (Buckley) Williams and sister of the late John “Jay” Williams Jr. Until 2009, she was a lifelong resident of Brockton, before moving to Stoughton, MA.
Pegge graduated from Brockton High School in 1941 and was a long time member and later chairman of the class reunion committee. In 1944 she graduated from Katherine Gibbs School in Boston and was employed in Boston until 1950 when she was chosen by newly elected Mayor of Brockton Melvin B. Clifford to be his executive secretary. In 1960 she became the Assistant Director of Sales and Program Production at WNAC TV, Channel 7. While at Channel 7, she was the part time fashion coordinator who produced and commentated fashion shows in the area, for a once popular fixture of downtown Main Street, Brockton, called Frasers.
‘Pegge’ was much involved with many community activities. She was the president of the Brockton Hospital Women’s Guild, editor of its award winning newsletter and a devoted volunteer. She served on the board of directors of the Brockton Visiting Nurse Association, volunteered at the Fuller Craft Museum and was active in the 20th Century Catholic Club and Thursday Club. A long- time member of Thorny Lea Golf Club, she was the founder and first secretary of its ladies golf association.
Called back to service at Brockton City Hall in 1966, Pegge was chosen to be the first executive secretary of the Citizens Advisory Committee by then Mayor Alvin Jack Sims.
In 1971, along with a group of South Shore women, Pegge founded and incorporated the Guild of Catholic Charities (now the Charity Guild). Pegge served the organization as its chairwoman and remained active as a volunteer up until a few months prior to her death.
In 1971, she joined the public relations department at the Cardinal Cushing General Hospital (now the Good Samaritan Medical Center) and retired in 1981 as its director. She also joined her husband in the operation and management of the Carvel Ice Cream Bakery on Oak Street, a family business owned until 1996. Grandpa and ‘Gigi’ s ice cream ‘store’ was just about best ‘gift’ you could give to your grandchildren. Every trip the grandchildren made to visit Grandma and Grandpa, it was Carvel first!
Jerry and Pegge enjoyed golfing together, especially when they won the mixed scotch foursome events. They also traveled extensively, including extended visits to their daughters’ and extended family in Florida. In her later years Pegge enjoyed traveling in Europe, but devoted most of her time and energy to the Charity Guild as a volunteer, then as a co-manager of its thrift shop, then as chairman of its Memorial Fund and as an active member of its board of directors. In 2005 she was selected by the Mayor’s Commission on Women’ Issues as one of Brockton’s “Women of the Year” in recognition of her many years of steady community activism.
We would be remiss if we did not mention the yearly bet Pegge made with her son-in-law, daughter Janis’ husband, Steven Gervickas., For years, come the early spring, she and Steven would throw in their one dollar bill and wait. Who would catch the first sighting of spring’s robin?
To our dear, kind and stoic Pegge, rest in peace with dad. We love you “more.”
In the memory of Margaret Lang please consider donating to the CharityGuild.org
A private mass will be held at a future date.