Margaret “Peggy” Bernadette Savoy

Margaret “Peggy” Bernadette Savoy, 84, of Richardson, died Friday, December 13, 2024. She was born on January 27, 1940, to Frances Rose Palermo Bennett and Frank Joseph Bennett, in Beaumont. Margaret retired as an accounting clerk for the City of Beaumont.

She had a great sense of humor and made others feel welcome in any situation. She never met a stranger and would know their life history within the first few minutes. And if she didn’t remember your name, you were lovingly called girlfriend.

Her children fondly remember her Sunday pot roast or spaghetti and meatballs that she prepared weekly as the family got ready for a Dallas Cowboys or Houston Oilers football game. And she was not afraid to add a heaping cup of sugar to a recipe regardless of how much was required or if any was actually in the list of ingredients.

Margaret was an avid television watcher, with various game shows and soap operas being her lifelong favorites. She loved a clean house and was constantly picking up after everyone to ensure everything was in its proper place. Even though there were small trash cans in almost every room of the house, you weren’t allowed to use them, as anything you threw away had to be put in the big can in the garage. Don’t even think about putting anything in the kitchen sink. It went straight to the dishwasher or garbage. And nothing sat around for long. If you hadn’t read the daily newspaper by late afternoon, you were going to have to dig it out of the trash receptacle, which obviously meant a trip to the garage.

She always made Christmas special for her children, making sure Santa delivered the gifts they wanted from the Sears Wish Book. The Christmas tree had colored lights, never clear ones, and the house was full of music from her extensive record collection, with Elvis songs and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree ringing throughout during the holidays. And traditions like having Italian sausage on Christmas Eve and spaghetti on Christmas Day were always kept.

Margaret loved her cars and kept them meticulously clean. Her 70s baby blue Buick Electra 225 was a favorite of the family, and she was particularly proud of her last car, a Lexus, which she kept in showroom condition.

While a dietician may not have approved of her choices, she kept the kitchen stocked with sweets, chips, and Coca-Cola for her kids. Supposedly, she couldn’t take medication without chasing it with a cupcake or blueberry muffin. And she didn’t seem to mind when her boys ate all the Hostess Ding Dongs and rolled up all the foil wrappers from each one to create a ball and held a spirited football game in the center of the family room.

Even during times in her life when money and resources were tight, she shared freely and made sure others were taken care of before she focused on herself.

She treasured moments with family and friends and her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were her pride and joy. She retired in 2001 and moved to Richardson to take care of her grandchildren. She was incredibly proud of them and their accomplishments.

Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Williamson and her husband, Roger, of Richardson; sons, Frank Smith and his partner, Michael Harkness, of Long Beach, California and Stephen Smith of Washington D.C.; step-daughters, Lisa Gonzalez of Buna and Stacy Guidry of Bridge City; step-son, Richard Savoy and his wife, Josephine, of Bridge City; sister, Francene Sorrell and her husband, David, of Richardson; eleven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Joseph Savoy.

A gathering of Mrs. Savoy’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, December 19, 2024, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 20, 2024, at Broussard’s, with her interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.