Margaret K. 'Peggy' Villella, 62, of
Many of us in the community were taken aback to open the Carroll County Times Friday morning and read that Peggy Villella had passed away.
Over the years as an appointed and then an elected official I had gotten to know Peggy as the ever-cheerful and vivacious receptionist for the Carroll County Times office on
When I moved to the other side of the computer and began writing columns for “The Advocate,” a weekly publication of the Carroll County Times, every time I visited the office, she would, no matter how hectic the day, act as if I were the only person in the world she needed to greet and help that day.
In a Carroll County Times article which was published in the paper today, (Face of the Times remembered for her warmth,) Karen Karaszkiewicz wrote what many of us felt, that she was the “face” of the Carroll County Times. In many ways a model for what corporations and government agencies need on the front desk – such as, for example, Kay Church, the receptionist for
Ms. Karaszkiewicz wrote
“A woman who was known by many as the face of the
[…]
“For about the past 10 years, she had worked at the front desk, spreading her cheerfulness to everyone who walked into the building, whether they were customers or coworkers, according to Lori Blake, director of administration.”
Over the years in which I got to know her, she never ever had a bad thing to say about anyone. And as Ms. Karaszkiewicz wrote, “For about the past 10 years, she had worked at the front desk, spreading her cheerfulness to everyone who walked into the building, whether they were customers or coworkers, according to Lori Blake, director of administration.”
Upon hearing the news,
Carroll County Times city editor Jamie Kelly spoke for many when he said, “It’s been a shock. She was just a wonderful lady. She loved people and it showed. It will be hard to adjust to the Times without her...”
There are many such folks in
Her obituary reads:
Margaret K. 'Peggy' Villella, 62, of
Margaret Kay "Peggy" Villella, 62, of
Born July 10, 1945, in
She was a graduate of
She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Carroll Post 31 American Legion and of the VFW Post 467, both in
She enjoyed going on ocean cruises, weekend getaways and trips to the mountains. She liked eating crabs and collecting dolls. She also enjoyed watching scary movies and science fiction movies; her favorite was the original version of "The Thing."
Surviving, in addition to her husband, are sons Patrick and Frank X. Villella Jr., both of
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John Roman Catholic Church,
The family will receive friends from noon to 3 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Memorial and