Margaret "Peggy" Collings Brown

RICHMOND, Ind. – Margaret “Peggy” Collings Brown, age 92, of Richmond, passed away at Heritage House of Richmond, Saturday, November 16, 2013, with grace and dignity, just as she exhibited throughout her life. Born February 14, 1921, in Lombard, Illinois, a child of British immigrants, Frank Collings and Amy Balcomb Collings, Peg lived most of her life in Richmond. She was an accomplished artist and was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago as a mechanical and zoological illustrator. Upon graduation, Peg was employed at the Field Museum in Chicago. Her artistic works appeared in The Encyclopedia Britannica 1955, journals, and numerous publications by Earlham faculty members. She attended Earlham College, and after raising her children, she worked at Earlham’s Lilly Library. Peg retired in 1986. Peg was a member of First Friends Meeting. She was a founding member and logo designer of the Society for the Preservation and Use of natural Resources (SPUR). In conjunction with Hayes Arboretum, she helped to educate and initiate the need to preserve nature and recycle waste. Peg was also a founding member of the Whitewater Valley Wanderers hiking club. She was a member of the American Discovery Trail which led to the cleanup and restoration of the Whitewater Valley Gorge, as well as integrating the Gorge trails and Cardinal Greenway nationwide. Peg was a member of the Whitewater Valley Land Trust, Wayne County Foundation, Hayes Regional Arboretum, Arbor Day Foundation, Nature Conservancy, Amaryllis Club, and a volunteer at the Richmond Rose Garden. Peg was full of kindness and humor, and she appreciated the wonders of the natural world. She was a deeply loving parent, grandparent, and friend. Asked once for her epitaph, she laughingly said of her life, “I wouldn’t have missed it!”. Survivors include her four children, Richard C. (Judith Simmer) Brown, Patricia J. (Martin Foster) Brown, David S. (Dinah) Brown, and Mary F. Brown; four grandchildren, Berkeley Brown, Owen Brown, Scott Mendenhall, and Alicia Brown; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Nigel Collings; nephew, Stephen; and niece, Sandra. A memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com or to the family in care of Mary Brown, 4195 Highland Drive, Richmond, IN 47374.

Margaret "Peggy" Collings Brown

February 14, 1921 - November 16, 2013