May 6, 1942 – October 10, 2012
MEMORIAL SERVICE
The memorial service was held November 24, at 4:00 pm at College Street Congregational Church.
OBITUARY
Colchester, VT – Margaret Elizabeth Devlyn, 70, a long-time resident of Colchester, died in Fletcher Allen Health Care surrounded by family on October 10, 2012. Born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1942 to Evlyn and Harry Herrman, she graduated the University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s in Education. She worked as a reporter for the Burlington Free Press, was a member of Colchester School Board, communications director for Senator Robert Stafford, and VPR commentator. She was co-founder of Marketing Partners of Burlington. She is survived by her sisters Evlyn West and Patricia Hogue of Philadelphia, and her children Catherine Bowers of Philadelphia, Linda Wheeler of Essex Junction, Deborah Lang of Grand Isle, and David Bowers of Colchester. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Woodrow Hogue, sons-in-law Tom Brooks, Ian Wheeler and Bob Jones, and grandchildren David Lang, Jennifer and Michael Wheeler, Luke and Valerie Brooks, Diana Donovan, and David and Jon Bowers. Special thanks to the PACE program and caregiver Deb Smith.
BIOGRAPHY
Peg was born in Philadelphia. While still an infant her father, Harry, went to fight in World War II and was a soldier on the beaches of Normandy. He returned from war and the family grew with the birth of Patty. The war had made significant change in Harry and her parents divorced. She saw her dad occasionally after that for a number of years but contact all but stopped when he moved to a military post in Arizona.
Peg’s mother, Evelyn, then a divorced single parent in the 40s and 50s, did her best to support Peg and Patty. Unable to both work and care for her girls, she arranged private foster homes for them, visiting as frequently as possible.
Peg wanted nothing more than to live with her mom and sister as a family unit and when she was 11, she got her wish. Her mother remarried and Peg and Patty moved in with her and step-dad Pat. Their cousin Charlotte, who was living in an orphanage at the time, was also taken in to the family. Soon after that their sister Evlyn was born. Tragically, a year after Evlyn’s birth, their mom died suddenly from surgical complications.
Unable to care for the baby, young Evlyn went to live with her aunt but eventually returned to Pat’s home. He raised all the girls as a single dad until they married and moved off to their own lives. Pat always remained involved in their lives, a loving and loyal father and grandfather. Peg took her younger sisters under her wing, filling the role of a substitute mother in particular for young Evlyn. She was instrumental in encouraging Evlyn’s college education despite the challenges of their blue collar limitations.
Peg still deeply desired that family life. She had been interested in science and math as well as language and writing, but was unable to further her education at the typical age. She married at a young age and the family quickly grew to include four children.
Her interest in writing increased following an experience she had as a teenage mother. She wrote a letter to the editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin, an evening newspaper, to correct some misconceptions about teen mothers. She was then interviewed, an article was written for the Bulletin about her and she appeared on a local TV show to discuss those issues. This cemented her viewpoints on how effective writing can be.
She never let the onset and debilitation of arthritis impair her role as a mother. She managed a garden and canned goods, ferried kids to school and activities, and conducted all the normal activities of managing a busy home. When her kids were somewhat self-sufficient she started writing as a free-lance journalist for the Burlington Free Press. Her first duties were to attend and summarize the content of town meetings.
This role evolved and she worked for political campaigns while earning her bachelor’s degree in Public Health Education at the University of Vermont. She eventually came to work for US Senator Bob Stafford for several years as Communications Director. When Senator Stafford retired she started writing for other groups, including many patient-information pamphlets for the Lung Association and Arthritis Foundation. She then transitioned into marketing and PR work. She soon formed her own company, Marketing Partners, with business partner Pat Heffernan. They were founding partners in Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. She loved the writing involved in this endeavor.
Other pursuits included being a commentator on Vermont Public Radio, serving on the boards of the Vermont Land Trust, Cathedral Square.
While illness forced her to take a less active role, Marketing Partners continues to operate today.
CONTRIBUTIONS IN LIEU OF FLOWERS
Contributions may be made to College Street Congregational Church (http://www.collegestreetchurchvt.org/), JUMP Joint Urban Ministries Project (http://www.jumpvt.org/donate.html), and Bella Voce Women’s Chorus (http://www.bellavocevt.org/ ).