Margaret Dougal

MARGARET DOUGAL

Cedar Rapids

Margaret ("Peggy") Jane McLennan Dougal, 85, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, in Austin, Texas, with loving family at her side. Peggy will be remembered for her faith, kindness, wit and love.

Peggy was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 5, 1929, the second child of Donald McKenzie McLennan and Leola Bell Peterson McLennan. She grew up during the Great Depression and was instilled with a lifetime of self-reliance and thriftiness. Peggy graduated from McKinley High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1951, Peggy earned her bachelor's degree in home economics and related sciences from Iowa State University. During college, she was awarded many honors, including being inducted into the national chemistry honorary society and was named an outstanding woman in science by Sigma Delta Epsilon. On Sept. 3, 1951, she married Arwin A. Dougal. They moved to Austin, Texas, in 1961 where Arwin joined the electrical engineering department at the University of Texas.

Peggy and Arwin were regulars at the Longhorn Flying Club based at Ragsdale Aviation at the former Mueller Airport in the 1960s. Peggy soloed and earned her private pilot's license at the age of 36. She traveled the world with Arwin to universities, institutes and conferences in Oxford, Edinburgh, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Paris, Florence, Rome, Mexico City, Sydney, Melbourne and elsewhere.

Peggy was active in The University Ladies Club and T-Squares (engineering wives club). She was devoted to her church, Covenant Presbyterian, where she was active in women's circles and Bible studies. She volunteered at Covenant in innumerable ways. On Tuesdays, Peggy could always be found answering the phones at Covenant while the pastoral staff held meetings. She was an assiduous student and practitioner of nutrition and family health and was a vigorous walker into her early 80s. She was an accomplished seamstress and took pride in sewing her daughters' clothes, including their wedding dresses. Family members enjoyed receiving her hand-crafted birthday cards inscribed with amusing and personalized poems.

During their later years, Peggy and Arwin spent their winters at Key Allegro in Rockport, Texas, where they attended the First Presbyterian Church and were members of the Rockport Yacht Club.

Peggy cared deeply about each of her children and was instrumental to their happiness and success in life. She is survived by her children, Catherine Covington and husband Bryan; Roger Dougal and wife Jodi, and daughter Kara of Columbia, S.C.; Leonard Dougal and wife Diane and children Evan, Ross and Leigh; and Laura Davis and husband Robert and children Zachary and Seth of Elgin.

Her married adult grandchildren are Beth Covington Crawford and husband Taylor, Bradley Covington and wife Nicole, Amanda Davis Haisler and husband Dustin and Christina Davis Green and husband Caleb. She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Arwin; and her brother, Roderick McLennan.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3003 Northland Dr., Austin, Texas, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Obituary and memorial guest book available online at www.wcfish.com.

Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78705; (512) 452-8811.