Peggy JoAn (Keddy) Stewart, of 78 Bridge St, Carthage, NY 13619, died on Thursday, September 7, 2023, due to complications from dementia at Lewis County Nursing Home in Lowville.

Peggy was born October 20, 1935, the daughter of the late Luella and Thomas Keddy. She attended Carthage High School. After school she attended Keuka College in Penn Yan, NY, fulfilling a lifelong dream of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Peggy returned home to West Carthage. Upon coming back to Carthage, she worked for Dr. Hollis Merrick's family practice, then supervised the Carthage Area Hospital operating room for 20 years. When she retired from the hospital in 1985, she worked for the NY Air Brake Health Clinic, and then as a nurse for Dr. C. Fred Peckham until the office closed. She met Thomas Stewart and married him on March 14, 1959 at the First Baptist Church in Carthage. They raised their three daughters in the same home she grew up in, complete with robin's egg blue custom counters and cupboards fit for someone less than five-feet tall.

Peggy was a woman of spunk, sass, and a life well-lived. She didn't shy away from hard work or travel – she and Tom made multiple trips to Alaska, Maryland, and across the country to visit friends, family, and to see the sights. Being an operating room nurse was her crowning achievement, next to being grandma to eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Peggy would carry on the Keddy family baking tradition every Christmas with her daughters and grandchildren making thousands of cookies throughout the years. She would fill a room with laughter or stories from her days in surgery, working at the air brake or college, or how she would attempt to remodel a room while Tom was at hunting camp for the weekend. She loved camping in the Adirondacks with her family. A woman of habit, Peggy had her hair permed and dyed by Susie Coughlin every couple of weeks, or would go to Keddy's, the bar her brother Clarence owned, for rice pudding or fish fry. She bowled as part of a woman's league for years. In her retirement, Peggy and Tom showed up at school events, games, doctor's appointments, birthday parties, plays, concerts, and supporting everything the grandkids participated in. Peggy would always play cards at the kitchen table or in the camper during a rainy camping trip.

Despite the health challenges she dealt with these last few years, the Peggy we all knew and loved would still shine every now and then. She'd tell stories about her brothers on their farm, or sneaking pies from her mother's bakery. Peggy, never one to sugarcoat things, wouldn't hesitate to tell you what was on her mind - she'd tell you good, bad, or otherwise - even in the nursing home. She ran the house, kept the finances, and everyone's birthdays straight even if she got people's names mixed up, even years before she suffered from dementia. She was the family's guidepost, baker, strong black coffee drinker, and mischief maker.

Peggy is survived by her husband Thomas Stewart of West Carthage; her three daughters and their spouses Lesley (Larry Kloster) of Copenhagen, Kelly (Bruce Rohr) of Deer River, and Krista (Charles Ennis) of Herrings; her eight grandchildren: Kate (Jon Downes) of Homer; Tim (Julia Morse) of Canton; CJ (Meghann Rohr) of Pulaski; Trevor (Kaitlyn Morse) of Ontario; Gary Ennis of Rochester; Bethany (Andrew Nelden) MacDill Air Force Base, Fl.; Logan Rohr of Rochester; Thomas Ennis of West Carthage; and five great grandchildren Sean, Emma, Everlee, Lydia, and Joseph. She is predeceased by her parents, Luella and Thomas Keddy; and her brothers and their spouses Clarence (Evelyn) Keddy; Ronald (Doris) Keddy.

Calling hours are from 12-2 pm on Tuesday, September 12 at the Bezanilla-McGraw Funeral Home in Carthage; funeral services will follow at 2 pm. A private burial for the family will follow in the Great Bend Cemetery. To leave condolences, go to www.bezanillafh.com.