Margaret "Peg" Haviland, 79, West Newbury, passed away peacefully in North Haverhill, New Hampshire on October 7, 2023. She was born Margaret Ann Barry on April 1, 1944, in Brattleboro, Vermont to Harold Barry and Pauline (McGinnis) Barry. While she lived in various places – Massachusetts, Germany, California and Montana – she always called Vermont home, and ultimately spent most of her life living on the top of Brock Hill in West Newbury with her husband of 50 years, Russell Haviland.
Peg was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School and Becker College. She followed her passions for recreation and education throughout her entire career – most notably, as an assistant teacher at Thetford Elementary School for over 20 years. Peg was also a ski instructor and the longtime Director of the Halls Lake Swim Program in West Newbury.
Her greatest achievement, however, was her family. Peg was a mom to five children – Christopher, Samuel, Leslie, Patrick and Brenna – who she raised to be kind, generous and hard working. Later in life, she was the best Grammie to 10 grandchildren: Kaleb, Colin, Jillian, Aryana, Brodie, Malakai, Bennett, Conor, Charlotte and Lilah. Peg showed her love through food, orchestrating holiday meals and baking cookies and pies with her grandchildren with the snow-capped mountains in view through her kitchen window. She was at her happiest when visiting Bailey Island, Maine: overlooking the ocean, black coffee in hand and a book in her lap.
Peg is survived by her husband, Russell Haviland of West Newbury, Vermont; a brother, Michael Barry of Brattleboro, Vermont; her children and grandchildren; her daughters-in-law Lynne Audet Haviland and Ashley Haviland, and numerous cousins who were more like siblings. Her life will be celebrated on October 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Ricker Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Woodsville, 1 Birch St. Woodsville, NH