Peggy (Margaret) Wood tended gardens, nurtured children and young people of all ages, counseled her husband as he built a career in academia and public service, and built her own career as a teacher and teacher educator. She lived a full and vibrant life, dying on March 4, 2026 at the age of 94.

Born on October 19, 1931 to Randolph K. Byers and Margaret Cooke Byers, Peggy was the youngest of 4 children, nicknamed "Patch". She grew up in Milton, MA, where her father was a pediatrician and her mother an active community member. Peggy attended Milton Academy from kindergarten through high school, where her intellect and athleticism were put to excellent use. The family had the good fortune of spending summers by the water in Little Compton, RI, where Peggy honed expert sailing and tennis skills.

Growing up —and becoming aware of current and world events— during WWII left a deep mark on Peggy; her family welcomed two children who were distant relatives from Great Britain during those years, and Peggy was always sensitive to the fact that safety, justice, and freedom were precious — and should never be taken for granted.

Peggy started her college education at Radcliffe College, ending her sophomore year with a summer internship in Washington, DC. Set up on a blind date, she met Robert C. Wood, who was then working in the Truman administration. Having met in August, they were soon engaged and married just seven months later on March 22, 1952. Peggy completed her undergraduate studies at George Washington University and later completed a master's in history at Harvard.

Peggy and Bob combined their passions for learning and service throughout their marriage. Bob built a career as a public intellectual — an expert in government and urban affairs —who interrupted his academic career at various times with public service, serving in the Truman administration, the Johnson administration, as the president of the University of Massachusetts, and as superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. While Bob pursued his public career, Peggy was no less active, leading the local League of Women Voters and becoming an early advocate for affordable housing in suburbia, successfully advocating for workforce housing in their town of Lincoln, MA.

Peggy and Bob raised three children, Franny, Maggie (Hassan), and Frank, primarily in Lincoln but also for three years in Washington, DC. Returning to Lincoln in 1969, Peggy soon began her own career, teaching history and developing an executive internship program at the local high school. After their children left home, the Woods moved into the South End of Boston.

When Peggy and Bob moved to Middletown, CT in 1983 for Bob to begin a professorship at Wesleyan University, Peggy found a professional home and passion as an instructor in Wesleyan's teacher preparation and certification program. She continued this work when the couple moved back to Boston in 1993, working across state education agencies, focusing on the art and science of teaching.

In addition to raising children and teaching, Peggy was her husband's best counselor, editor, and intellectual sparring partner. She also became an expert hostess, entertaining friends and colleagues at thoughtfully planned and executed dinner parties, but also learning to adapt when Bob spontaneously invited people to the house with little or no notice.

Peggy and Bob relished the company of young people, opening their homes to students, their children's friends, and relatives; some spending an afternoon, others staying for weekends or months — as long as they needed to. Peggy believed that young people always need to know that they "have a grown-up in their corner" and she committed herself to being that grown-up.

After her husband's death in 2005, Peggy moved to Cambridge, MA and, at the age of 91, decided to pursue independent living at Springhouse in Jamaica Plain. Throughout her retirement, she stayed engaged in ongoing education, acting in plays and participating in book groups. She went to the Grand Canyon and then China in her 80's, insisting on climbing the Great Wall in extreme heat conditions. She was generous with both her time and wisdom as a grandmother, continued to mentor her adult children and shared her love of gardening, the water, and history with all comers.

Peggy Wood is survived by her three children, Franny, Frank, and Maggie (Hassan), her daughter-in-law Kay Gayner and son-in-law Tom Hassan, her grandchildren Ben and Meg Hassan and numerous and beloved nieces and nephews. Her sisters Franny Hatch and Susan Plant predeceased her, as did her brother Randy Byers, Jr.

Visiting hours will be at the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord, MA from 3 to 6 pm on Saturday, March 7, 2026. A celebration of life and burial are being planned for later in the year.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, MA.