Margaret (Peggy) Ann Higgins, 80, of Robson Ranch in Denton, Texas passed away peacefully on January 28,2025. Peggy was born in Sterling, Illinois to John and Esther Hall on April 22, 1944 and graduated from Sterling Township High School, class of 1962.

She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in sociology as well as bachelors and master's degrees in aging from the University of North Texas.

Peggy enjoyed two productive careers. Her design career lasted twenty years. She assisted builders and homeowners with design schemes, worked in design and consultation for Lewis Shanks of Austin, Texas and was lead designer for Ross of LaCrosse in Wisconsin. She also drafted and implemented showroom designs for furniture manufacturers and was employed as the in-house product designer for A. Brandt furniture company in Fort Worth, Texas.

Completing her master's degree qualified Peggy to pursue her growing interest in helping older people who suffer with dementia. She developed an in-depth understanding of Alzheimer's disease and how it affects families as well as dementia patients. Her passion for helping others lead her to become Director of the Education Core of the Alzheimer's Disease Center, a division of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center located in Dallas.

Peggy participated in research and devised and headed dementia awareness outreach programs that targeted undeserved families and groups in north Texas and Oklahoma. She developed an extensive set of materials to help loved ones understand the basic elements of

Alzheimer's disease and how they can best be of help to a suffering family member.

These materials coalesced into an extensive train-the-trainer course that was used to bring dementia education to families in several cities throughout the country.

Peggy is survived by David Higgins, her husband of 43 years; daughter Lisa Wheelock of Orford, New Hampshire; daughter Megan Doak (Alwyn Doak) of Frederick, Maryland; sister Virginia Butzer (John Butzer) of Grand Rapids, Michigan; brother John Hall (Melody Hall) of Raleigh, North Carolina; and six grandchildren, Meredith, Hannah, Hayes, Trevor, Alaina and Austin.

Donations in Peggy's honor may be made to:

The Clark Foundation
1551 Franklin Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

A brief memorial service will take place at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas on Wednesday, February 5th at 9:00 a.m.