Marie "Peggy" Park

Marie Gilliam Park (Peggy) died peacefully at her home on November 8, 2020 at 12:30pm.

Peggy was born in Statesville, NC in 1928 where she attended Statesville High School and graduated as valedictorian in 1946. She went on to study mathematics and French at Sweetbriar College where she graduated in 1950 after spending her junior year studying abroad in Paris. She was part of the first group of students at Reid Hall in Montparnasse after World War II. On graduation, Peggy then became a high school teacher teaching at Lexington High School in North Carolina and later at Westminster School in Atlanta, Georgia.

She met her husband, Hunter Park, while teaching. They were married in Statesville in 1956 and moved to Greenville. Peggy and Hunter raised four children in Greenville. She was once introduced by a close friend as a "the leader of a small feminist cell in Greenville who believes women should be paid for having babies." Outwardly she appeared to be a very traditional Southern wife, but along with those traditional values, she held untraditional views about women's independence.

Peggy was also a life-long Francophile who made multiple trips to France and presented several papers on the Impressionists. One of her trips to Fouquet's palace, Vaux Le Vicomte, required that French be spoken for the duration of the trip. In her 90's she would sometimes switch to speaking French, perplexing her non-French-speaking caregivers.

She served as president of the Greenville Chorale. She both began and ended her life here in Greenville as a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday school and enjoyed their excellent music program. She and Hunter were also members of First Presbyterian Church for many years.

Even when Peggy stopped paid teaching to raise a family, she continued to teach in every aspect of her life: first teaching her children, then Sunday school and tutoring French at the Teen Parent Center. She also enjoyed tennis, hiking, and canoeing. Even into her 90's, she delighted in beating "the men" AND her own children at ping pong at the YMCA. She was, as her husband, Hunter, described her, a perennial good sport.

Peggy is predeceased by her parents, LS and Marie Moseley Gilliam, her brother Leonard Statham Gilliam, Jr. and her husband of 56 years, Russell Hunter Park. She is survived by four children: Marie Park (Joe Hardt) of Dallas, TX; Russell Park (Kim Halley) of Asheville, NC; Missy Park (Dana Tillson) of Berkeley, CA and Billy Park (Julie Harvey) of Northampton, MA and seven grandchildren, Alex and Sadie Hardt, Zoe Park, Gillie and Leo Tillson and Bailey and Savvy Park.

The family wishes to thank her dedicated caregivers: Maryline Wenceslao, Cyndi Martinez, Janet Alday, Sandy Srelz, Ophelia "Obie" Allen and Joe Elmer.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Planned Parenthood or Safe Harbor of South Carolina.

The Reverend Lauren Slingerland will officiate a private graveside funeral service.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory-Powdersville Road.