Margaret "Peggy" Alvarez | March 3, 1941 – April 22, 2024 | Nobody left her house hungry
Other subtitle options: "She'd seen everything twice" · "Worry is a rocking chair"
Opening tribute
If you ever walked into Peggy Alvarez's kitchen, you know how this starts. There was always a pot of beans on the stove and fresh tortillas warming. Within minutes there was a plate in front of you, whether or not you'd said you were hungry. Nobody left her house hungry. That was the rule, and she never once broke it.
Grandma spent 35 years as an ER nurse, so very little rattled her. She liked to say she'd "seen everything twice." She was steady when things were hard and mischievous when they weren't. She cheated at penny poker, sang off-key on purpose, and laughed the loudest at her own tricks. She made every one of us feel like the most important person in the room, and then she probably took our pennies. She would not want this page to be too sad, so we'll do our best to honor that. Mostly, we want to remember her the way she lived: warmly, with a full table and a good laugh.
Their story
From Nogales to Tucson
Margaret was born in Nogales, Arizona, on March 3, 1941. At 18 she moved to Tucson for nursing school. It was the start of a career, and of a life in the city she would call home for the rest of her days.
Thirty-five years in the ER
Peggy worked as an emergency room nurse at Tucson Medical Center for 35 years. That is a long time to spend on the front lines of other people's worst days, and she met it with skill, calm, and a sense of humor that never wore thin. When she said she'd "seen everything twice," she was only half joking. Her colleagues knew it was the truth, and they knew what it took to stay kind through all of it. [Optional: add a story or detail from a nursing colleague here.]
Ray, the roses, and a full house
In 1962 Peggy married Ray Alvarez. Together they raised three children: Linda, Michael, and Rosa. Their home was full of good food and Patsy Cline records, and Peggy and Ray could often be found dancing in the kitchen. Ray passed away in 2015, and we take comfort in picturing the two of them dancing again.
The family grew to seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and Grandma kept track of every one of us. She called each grandchild on their birthday, without fail, and sang to us loudly and off-key on purpose. Out in the yard she grew roses and named every bush after a member of the family. So if you've ever wondered whether you had a rosebush, you almost certainly did.
She also had a turquoise 1978 Buick, which she drove faithfully until 2009. It was as loyal and unmistakable as she was.
Thursdays at St. Mark's
Peggy's Catholic faith mattered deeply to her, and she lived it out in practical ways. After she retired, she volunteered at the St. Mark's food pantry every Thursday. For a woman who believed nobody should leave her house hungry, it was a natural next step to make sure nobody in her community did either.
What we'll remember
- The pot on the stove. Beans simmering, tortillas warm, and a plate in your hands before you'd taken off your coat.
- Penny poker with all seven grandkids. She taught every one of us to play, cheated shamelessly, and laughed about it every single time.
- "I've seen everything twice." Thirty-five years in the Tucson Medical Center ER gave her a calm that could steady a whole room.
- A rose for everyone. Every bush in her garden carried the name of someone she loved.
- Dancing in the kitchen with Grandpa Ray, with Patsy Cline playing.
- That turquoise 1978 Buick, which she drove proudly all the way to 2009.
- The birthday phone call. Every grandchild, every year, with a song sung off-key on purpose.
- Thursdays at the food pantry, feeding people long after she'd officially retired.
A few of their favorite things
| Music | Patsy Cline |
| Dance partner | Grandpa Ray, in the kitchen |
| Cooking | Beans and fresh tortillas, always enough for whoever showed up |
| Garden | Roses, each named for a family member |
| Game | Poker for pennies (rules optional) |
| Ride | Her turquoise 1978 Buick |
Words we live by
"Worry is a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere." — Peggy Alvarez
Remembrance details
- What: Celebration of Life for Margaret "Peggy" Alvarez
- When: Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
- Where: St. Mark's Parish Hall, Tucson, Arizona [optional: add street address]
- In lieu of flowers: The family asks for donations to the St. Mark's food pantry, where Peggy volunteered every Thursday. [Add how to give, such as a donation link, mailing address, or drop-off details.]
Share a memory
Grandma loved a full table and a good story, so please pull up a chair and share yours. Memories and photos from family, fellow nurses, and friends from St. Mark's are all welcome here.
- What's a time Peggy made you laugh, or caught you laughing at her poker "strategy"?
- Did she ever feed you, patch you up, or set you straight? We'd love to hear about it.
- Do you have a photo of her roses, the turquoise Buick, or Peggy dancing in the kitchen?
Short version for sharing
Margaret "Peggy" Alvarez | March 3, 1941 – April 22, 2024
Born in Nogales and a Tucsonan from age 18, Peggy was an ER nurse at Tucson Medical Center for 35 years. She liked to say she'd "seen everything twice." She married Ray Alvarez in 1962 and raised Linda, Michael, and Rosa. She adored her 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, and taught them penny poker, cheating shamelessly all the way. Nobody left her house hungry. Join us for her Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 2 p.m. at St. Mark's Parish Hall, Tucson. In lieu of flowers, please give to the St. Mark's food pantry.
*Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. We like to think there's a p