Peggy Marie Daniels, wife of Mitch Daniels, died in Houston, Texas on Monday, July 20, 2009, at 8:32 p.m. In the middle of April 2009, she was diagnosed with a fast and aggressive cervical cancer that raced through her body.
Born in New Orleans on June 2, 1951, she was the daughter of Dorothy Farnet Stakelum and Patrick Paul Stakelum (deceased). She is survived by sisters Sr, Kathleen Louise Stakelum, MSC, Mary Ann Langford (husband Ron), and Rita Louise Schaubhut, (husband Roland, Jr.) ; brothers Patrick Joseph, Richard Allen (wife Jody) and Kevin Joseph (wife Deborah) and nephews Derek Stakelum, Zachary Schaubhut, Edward Stakelum, and nieces Rebecca Schaubhut, Anna Marie Langford, Brigid and Caelan Stakelum and her husband Mitch Daniels. Peggy attended St.Julian Eymard Catholic Elementary School, and was a graduate of Archbishop Blenk High School and the University of New Orleans. Her earlier years included camping, fishing, hiking, snow skiing, playing guitar and majoring in Fine Arts Graphics. She enjoyed the performing arts of ballet, contemporary dance, street performances the visual arts in various venues of art museums and festivals of all kinds. As a young adult, she worked for Bell South Telephone Company before moving to Houston, Texas in 1983 where she had a long, successful career with AT&T. She met Mitch in 1984 while taking scuba lessons. They were married 8-9-89 at 8:09. Peggy’s life and it’s adventures were good to her and for her and Mitch as they explored Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii, New York, Amsterdam, Paris, the Mediterranean and Canada, and many other ports of call from the comfort of cruise ships and scuba diving trips. Her organic garden taught her patience and the wisdom of the words “To everything, there is a season“. And the bounty from her gardens stimulated both Peggy and Mitch to pursue their mutual interests in culinary exploration. She enjoyed hosting many feasts, crawfish boils, and BBQ brisket dinners with family and friends.
Her memorial service will be on August 9, 2009 at 3 pm at the Houstonian Hotel. The hotel’s address is 111 N. Post Lane Houston TX 77024, which is just north of the Galleria.
Photo courtesy of Haney Whipple Portraits
