Peggy Russell Dean

Peggy Russell Dean, age 68 of Laurinburg passed away March 5, 2020 at her home in Laurinburg, surrounded by her family.

Peggy was born July 10, 1951 in Bergen-Enkheim, Germany, daughter of the late John Louis Russell and Helene Theis Russell. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, Peggy worked as a medical technologist at Scotland Memorial Hospital before becoming a loving homemaker when her children were born. A lady of great faith who always knew how to show love, Peggy gave tirelessly of herself to her church and community. With a courageous spirit, enthusiasm and spunk, she performed personal deeds of kindness with no want of recognition. She loved to share flower bouquets with others from her beautiful garden, especially hydrangeas.

Peggy loved her community and worked for its good, from organizing community opposition waste dumps, serving on city council, to volunteering for Hospice and other community organizations. She loved her church and served in a wide variety of ministries and leadership positions. She loved young people and invested time serving as youth counselor, teaching Sunday school and helping with Vacation Bible School. She loved the senior citizens and spent time visiting them, taking them to lunch and sharing her joyful presence with them. In all things and with people, Peggy loved. After years of volunteering at Scotia Village, she finished her working career there as the Resident Services Assistant.

Peggy was “BeBe” to her grandchildren, whom she loved “to the moon and back, times infinity.” She spent endless summers at the beach with her family. This was also a place that was shared generously in bringing families and old friends together for joyful reunions and companionship. It was where Peggy loved to take a thermos of coffee and watch the sunrise, praising God for the colors in the sky and the gift of another day. She lived life well and her radiant smile will be remembered in the hearts of those who knew her. Fragile yet fierce in the end, with precious inspiration, Peggy taught us how to live with love and also how to die with dignity.

Along with her parents, Peggy is preceded in death by her father-in-law, Joe Dean and mother-in-law, Sarah Dean.

Peggy was a loving wife to Burt Dean, adoring mom to Rebecca Allison “Becca” Dean Welker ( Thomas) of Wilmington and “Russell” Burton Dean ( Alyson) of Winston Salem. The lights of Peggy’s life were her grandchildren, Max and Sam Welker and Jackson Dean. She leaves behind, sisters, Rosemary Gibson of Nakina, Terese LaTorre of Wilmington, Dana Coto of Barnwell, SC; brother, Chris Russell of Illinois, as well as her nieces and nephews.

A Memorial service will be 4:00 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 2020 at the First United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends prior to the service on Sunday from 2:30 until 4:00 p.m. and immediately following the service in the church fellowship hall.

The family would like to thank Scotland Regional Hospice for their loving care of Peggy and her family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to, First United Methodist Church, 101 W. Church Street, Laurinburg, NC 28352, Scotland Regional Hospice, P.O. Box 1033, Laurinburg, NC 28353, Scotland Cancer Center, 500 Lauchwood Drive, Laurinburg, NC 28352 or Scotch Meadows Country Club, 8000 Tartan Rd., Laurinburg, NC 28352.

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