Peggy Zahniser Troutman

On March 9, 2025, Peggy Zahniser Troutman, age 91, passed peacefully following a brief battle with metastatic breast cancer.  Peggy is pre-deceased by her loving husband, Richard Louis Troutman, and her parents, Twila Bell (Day) and Alfred Jackson Zahniser.  She is survived by her two children, Becky Troutman of San Francisco CA and Beth (Mitchell) Hendler and grandchildren, Rachel and Leah, of Webster NY.

Peggy was born in Grove City, PA where she attended college and met her future husband.  She earned an Associates’ Degree in Medical Technology and worked hard to put Richard through college at the University of Nebraska.  Upon graduation they moved to Rochester where both worked at Eastman Kodak as a chemist and Med Tech.  They immediately joined Bethany Presbyterian Church and were both very active members of the congregation for the next 50 years.  She was also one of the founding members of the Greece Ecumenical Food Shelf and put countless hours into the work of ensuring her neighbors didn’t go hungry.

In 1971, Richard and Peggy purchased the Troutman cottage on 7^th Lake in the Adirondacks.  Everyone who visited enjoyed the learning experiences and opportunities created by Dick and Peggy – boating, skiing, swimming, hiking, campfires, and loon and bear watching.  Peggy was the boat driver for waterskiing, and she worked tirelessly to make fun and cook amazing meals for her guests.  Most don’t know that in all the years she went to the lake, she never learned to swim! 

When Beth and Becky arrived, Peggy stopped working to become a full-time Mom.  She was a Bluebird and Campfire leader – one of only a few who would take us camping.   She drove tirelessly – to piano lessons, after-school activities, and she was an avid fan at all of Becky’s sports events.  Mom and Dad made sure their kids went to college and had all the building blocks for success.  When we left the nest, they were inseparable and spent their time in the Adirondacks on projects like re-building the boat house.

When Peggy lost Richard in 1997, she poured her energy into helping raise her grandchildren.  They helped her through difficult and lonely times, but both girls were the real winners who benefitted from her wisdom, care, guidance and her rule that “what happens at the cottage stays at the cottage”.  Evidently, they were allowed to do things Becky and Beth would never have been allowed to do.

In 2016 Peggy fell at home, injured disks in her neck, and ended up in an electric wheel chair, unable to walk.  She went through surgery at 83 to correct the damage, and through extensive rehab and sheer grit, she taught herself to walk again for short distances.  But it was time for assisted living, and although she hated the loss of her independence, she made the best of it.  She made friendships and learned to paint.  She became really good at it and even had one of her pieces selected for a traveling show of seniors’ artwork.  She became an avid puzzler, doing jigsaws, crosswords and sudoku to help keep herself sharp.  And she was sharp  – right to the end.

Peggy will be remembered for her strength, humor, intelligence, generous spirit, volunteerism and hospitality. 

Her family and friends miss her now and always will.  We love you more, Mum.

p.s.  I don’t think Mum minds sharing this spotlight with Dad; Beck is right – somewhere in heaven, dancing is happening. 

Donations in Peggy’s honor can be sent to one of her charities:

Inlet Volunteer Emergency Services – https://inletemergencyservices.com/support-ives/
(IVES provides emergency services to residents and visitors to Inlet, Eagle Bay and surrounding areas.)

Adirondack Mountain Club – https://members.adk.org/members/get-involved/donate.aspx
(The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is a nonprofit membership organization that protects wild lands and waters through a balanced approach of conservation and advocacy, environmental education, and responsible recreation.)

American Cancer Society – https://donate.cancer.org/