Margaret (Peggy) C Lyons

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Margaret (Peggy) C. Lyons, age 91, who died peacefully on June 30, 2025, in Forest, Virginia.

Born in Appomattox, Virginia, on May 5, 1934, she was the daughter of the late John Oscar Cole and Nell Harvey Young, and the stepdaughter of Larry Young. Peggy is survived by her children: Mary C. Lyons, Mark T. Lyons (Jill Lyons), Margaret L. Gober (Rodger Gober), and Ellen A. Harvey-D’Ardenne. She was a proud grandmother to Jonathan Watts, Jared Lyons, Owen Harvey, Christopher Lyons, Ian Lyons, Colin Hautman, Alexis Harvey, and Dawson D’Ardenne, and great-grandmother to six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Col. Robert J. Lyons, and her sister, Jane Harrison.

Peggy will be remembered as an intelligent, strong, and independent woman with a deep love for birds, animals, and the natural world. She was a longtime member of the Lynchburg Bird Club and a devoted contributor to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program. Her passion for birding took her on travels to Panama, Maine, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

In addition to these adventures, Peggy often visited Carolina Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina, where she spent cherished time with her sister’s children—Kim, Jeff, and Richard.

Beyond her love of birdwatching, Peggy was a true fashionista, an avid reader, a skilled gardener, a talented cook, and home decorator. A graduate of Richmond Professional Institute, she majored in Fashion and Design. She raised her family, each child born in a different state, during her husband’s service in the U.S. Marine Corps. She supported her daughters’ love of horses, hauling a horse trailer to shows and sewing their first riding outfits. After returning to Appomattox, she embarked on a professional career in real estate and later served as the Special Events Coordinator for Thalhimers, where she produced fashion shows.

A memorial service to celebrate Peggy’s remarkable life and spirit, and the lasting impact she had on all who knew and loved her, is being planned. Details will be posted and updated on the Tharp website.

The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers charitable donations be made in her memory to the Virginia Society of Ornithology, the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society, or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford is assisting the family.