Margaret Phillips Doolittle

Peggy Doolittle passed away in Santa Rosa, California on March 19, 2013. She was 95 years old. She is survived by her son John B. and his wife Nora, of Bodega Bay, and her grandchildren Tori Crawford and her husband Eric of Rohnert Park, and Commander John W. Doolittle and his wife Katie of Stuttgart, Germany. Tori and John W. blessed her with 5 great grandchildren; Carson and Caitlin Crawford, and Sean, Ryan, and Meg Doolittle. Peggy was born in Houston, Texas in 1917, the youngest of three children. Her brother and sister pre-deceased her. Her mother, Maggie Phillips, was from Ireland. Her father Marshall, from Louisiana, died when Peggy was four from an appendicitis attack. She was raised by her mother and immediate family. While in grade school, she was hit by a car and severely broke her arm. During the recovery period, she was schooled at home by her uncle. Because of the home schooling, Peggy graduated from high school two years before her peers. She was too young to attend college, so Peggy attended a nearby secretarial school to learn typing and shorthand...skills she never forgot. She married John W. Doolittle, who worked for AT&T, in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1937. They moved to Los Angeles, California in 1940. While Peggy spent most of her time raising their son, she was a part-time model and performed secretarial duties for the local Catholic Church, wherever they lived. She and her husband moved many times within California before moving to Santa Rosa in 1974, where they lived in Oakmont. Peggy was a member of the Star of the Valley Church and Women's Club, Oakmont Golf Club, Chapter LZ of PEO, Wild Oak Saddle Club, American Cancer Society, the Symphony Association, and many different bridge groups. Her husband passed away in 2004 and Peggy moved to Spring Lake Village in 2009. She enjoyed time with her family, trips to Lake Tahoe, her church, and loved to play bridge. Most of all, she loved being around her great grand-children. Peggy Doolittle loved people and enjoyed making life pleasurable for those she met. She always had a kind word for everyone, and was more concerned about their well being than her own. Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass and reception at 2pm on March 22, 2013 at Spring Lake Village Chapel, 5555 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA. If desired, donations in Peggy's memory may be made to Star of the Valley Catholic Church, 545 White Oak Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409, or to St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, PO Box 339, Occidental CA 95465 . Lafferty and Smith Colonial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.