Obituary of Margaret Rose Poindexter

Peggy Poindexter was born on June 17 in San Jose, in the days when the orchards went from one end of the valley to the other. She was proud to be a fourth generation Californian.  Her father Robert Trevey worked at Moffett Field as a surveyor and her mother, Margaret Trevey (nee McGlynn), was a housewife and very socially involved. Peggy’s early years included exposure to the performing arts as both her parents were involved in the founding of the San Jose Civic Light Opera. Robert was the first president of the group and Margaret often sang in the musical productions of the group.  She also spent many summer days at the South Bay Yacht Club in Alviso where her father served as commodore.  During that time, deep water access to the port of Alviso allowed the family to sail to ports throughout San Francisco Bay in the Lolomi, a small sailing yacht handcrafted by Robert Trevey.
Growing up during the great depression, Peggy would recall that her family’s fortunes were affected by the difficult economic times but that she did not feel in any way deprived at the time.  She sometimes spoke of how she helped out by working in the apricot orchards when she was a youngster.  Peggy’s early years were spent in Willow Glen and, while in her teens, the family moved to a house in the East Foothills of San Jose.  After graduating from high school Peggy attended Notre Dame de Namur University and also San Jose State University.
When the country went to war after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Peggy contributed to the war effort by getting a job as a mail delivery girl at the Moffet Field Naval Air Station north of San Jose.  One evening she agreed to go on a double-blind date with her best friend Anne.  When the two young ladies met their Naval Officer blind dates, Peggy, being somewhat taller than Anne, whispered to her friend “I get the tall one.”  The “tall one” turned out to be a young Navy pilot from Missouri named Tom Poindexter.  They immediately fell in love.  When the Navy granted Tom a two week leave prior to his being assigned to new duties in the Pacific, the couple decided to get married before Tom’s deployment.  They were married in St Joseph Cathedral in San Jose and the wedding was followed by a standing room only reception at the family home in the East Foothills.
Peggy loved to travel and as a Navy wife she was able to live in many wonderful places.  During Tom’s multi-year assignment in Yokohama, Japan, Peggy learned to prepare Japanese cuisine and acquired a lifelong interest in Asian art and furniture.  During a four-year assignment in Hawaii, Peggy learned Polynesian dancing while Tom took up surfing.  The pair and their three children also enjoyed golf, sailing, water skiing, swimming and hiking.
Upon Tom’s retirement from the Navy, Peggy and Tom moved to Santa Cruz where Peggy had enjoyed family vacations with her parents when she was a young girl. Tom started a new career as the owner and operator of the Santa Cruz Blueprint.  Peggy would sometimes come down to the shop to help out when it got particularly busy.  The pair were also working together in the “fixer upper” business long before it became a popular TV genre.  Tom enjoyed repairing and preserving older buildings while Peggy’s sense of style made it all look good.  Following Tom’s death in 2008 Peggy continued to travel the world with close friends and family members.  Her wit and humorous take on just about anything made her the best of traveling companions.
Peggy very much enjoyed the many friendships she was able to have through a number of charitable/social groups including Catala Club, Valle Monte, The Daisy, 30 Club (requiring a marriage of thirty years), Santa Cruz History Forum, Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Society of Pioneers, Uptown Ladies, MOAA, Cabrillo Presidents Club, DeSaisset Museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, San Jose Civic Light Opera. Peggy enjoyed fashion and would often do modeling both professionally and for charitable events. She loved to play tennis and was known for her ability to win with a good defense. She played tennis up to the last few years and made many friends through the sport.  Peggy was a lover of animals but was especially partial to dogs and often was seen around town with her German Shepard in tow.
Peggy was a Catholic and attended church at St Joseph in Capitola, Our Lady Star of the Sea, St Joseph Shrine, Holy Cross and Villa Maria Del Mar in Santa Cruz, and Resurrection in Aptos.  She also enjoyed attending church in different parts of the world during her frequent travels.   Peggy had been in declining health for the past several months. She was living in her home with her son Jay and daughter Missy when she died peacefully on February 20, 2019.
Peggy was predeceased by her husband Tom, her parents, Robert and Margaret, and her brother Bob.
She had a private requiem mass at Villa Maria Del Mar Chapel on Feb 26 that was celebrated by three priests, Father Justin Bianchi, Father Wayne Dawson, and Father Ron Green, all of whom were friends of Peggy. Peggy was interred at the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery with her husband. Her parents and grandparents are also buried at this cemetery. Peggy is survived by her three children, Missy Poindexter of Santa Cruz, Robert “Buz” Poindexter and daughter in law Barbara Merino of Corte Madera, and Jay Poindexter of Pompano Beach, FL and by her three granddaughters, Cristina Poindexter, Juliana Poindexter, and Diana Poindexter, and by her two very newly born great granddaughters, Charlotte Sepulveda and Alma Brambila and by many beloved nieces and nephews in California, Missouri, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Please join us in a celebration of the life of Peggy Poindexter at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club on March 10, 2019 from 4:00 to 7:00pm. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Peggy’s memory to any of the Catholic Churches attended by Peggy or to any of the charitable clubs Peggy was associated with, or to Santa Clara University, Notre Dame de Namur University, the Animal Welfare Institute or any charity that you think Peggy would like. And prayers for Peggy and her family are especially welcome.