Tributes

Peggy Joyce (Summerlin) VanderMeyden, age 86, went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on July 11, 2023. She passed away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her loving family and the wonderful staff at Mayberry Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care in Denton, Texas. Peggy was born on December 4, 1936 in Jackson, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Otis Lamar Summerlin Sr. and Eugenia Seal Boydston. She graduated from South Side High School in Memphis, Tennessee on June 3, 1955 and then went on to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Woman Recruit Battalion where she was called to active duty with Platoon 6-A in 1956. Peggy was married to Charles Francis Cwiklinski from 1956-1961, and the two had two beautiful daughters, Gail Lynn and Pamela Joyce. After being honorably discharged from the military, Peggy had various forms of employment, but she most enjoyed telling everyone “Here is Elvis’s latest hit” as a DJ on KVLC, an all girls radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she used the stage name ‘Pam Lynn’. She was married to Dick VanderMeyden from 1964-1975 and they moved the family to Severy, and then later Eureka, Kansas. Peggy started dispatching at the Eureka Police Department in 1974, then moved to Wichita to work as the first female trooper dispatcher for the Kansas Turnpike Authority in April of 1977 until she retired on June 24, 2004 after 28 years of service. She moved to Aubrey, Texas in December of 2020 to be near family. Peggy VanderMeyden was a woman with so much love in her heart. She found joy and intrigue in everything, and she loved sharing her vast pool of interests with those around her, especially her grandchildren. She had a beautiful singing voice, and could often be heard singing along to her favorite (usually classical) songs. Her love of God was contagious, and she was in the habit of praying for anyone and everyone who was in need. She loved animals, and was always at her happiest when one was curled up in her lap. Peggy also had a gift for conversation. She was a captivating and expressive storyteller, funny without even meaning to be, but she was also a compassionate listener who genuinely cared about everyone she met. She had a magnetic personality, and everyone who was lucky enough to know her will miss her deeply and forever. Peggy is survived by her daughters: Gail Clouette (and her husband Randy) and Pamela Bisi (and her husband John), her granddaughters Paige Joyce Bisi and Catherine May Bisi, her goddaughter McKenna Hunter, her niece and two nephews, her cat Baby, her granddogs Chase and Nacho, and her many, many honorary grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, as well as her brothers Otis Lamar Summerlin Jr., Samuel David Summerlin, and James Robert Summerlin. Rosary with visitation following will be held 6:30PM-8:00PM, Friday, July 14, 2023 at Slay Memorial Chapel in Aubrey, TX. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00AM, Saturday, July 15, 2023 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Pilot Point, TX with Fr. Jason Allan officiating. Online condolences may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Bradley R. Shotts and Slay Memorial Funeral Center.

Tributes

Peggy Joyce VanderMeyden

December 4, 1936 - July 11, 2023