BOWDEN, Margaret Ellen "Peg"
age 78, passed away on December 27, 2020 at her home in Tubac, AZ, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband, Lester Weil; their daughter, Cheyenne Weil (Joshua Coxwell); their son, Sage Weil (Elise Lawson); and four grandchildren, (Ronin Coxwell and Riley, Damon and Kiera Weil); and by her brother, George Bowden (Lois). She was preceded in death a brother, Charles Bowden.
Peg was born in Joliet, IL on December 6, 1942. Her family moved to Tucson in 1957, where she attended Tucson High School. She played timpani in the band, was elected to the National Honor Society, and edited the 1961 THS Yearbook. In 2015, she was inducted into the THS Badger Hall of Fame.
Peg attended the University of Arizona on a music scholarship, graduating with a B.A. in Nursing in 1966. During these years she played percussion not only with the University band and orchestra, but also with the Tucson Symphony and the Tucson Pops. She was a member of her church choir, the youth fellowship and, having played piano since childhood, substituted as a choir director, accompanist, and organist.
In 1970, Peg completed an M.S. in Psychiatric Nursing at the University of California Medical Center. She worked as a public health nurse in southern Oregon for 30 years and also taught nursing at Humboldt State and Southern Oregon Universities. She engaged in extensive volunteer work focused on helping disadvantaged young people, and continued her musical interests by playing timpani with the Rogue Valley Symphony.
After retirement, Peg returned to the Arizona desert, living near the Mexican border. There her volunteer activism increased, focusing on the cultural, economic, and humanitarian issues of the area. She affiliated with the Border Community Alliance and became an active volunteer with the Green Valley Samaritans. Both organizations helped migrants in many ways, including providing medical care, clothing, food, and English lessons at "El Comedor," a migrant aid station in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
As an outgrowth of these activities, Peg wrote two books: A Land of Hard Edges, Serving the Front Lines of the Border was published in 2014, followed in 2019 by A Stranger at My Door, Finding My Humanity on the U.S./Mexico Border. In the latter volume she presciently wrote, "For people of a certain age, there is a notion that now is the time to dial it down and limit our risks. On the contrary, I believe we should be raising hell, directing our energies toward the things we care about. Playing it safe is a cop-out. Especially when we may not have many years left." Both books have been critically acclaimed.
Peg continued her music during her retirement years in Arizona, playing percussion with the Green Valley Concert Band and piano at small venues in the area. Additionally, Peg enjoyed traveling, watercolor painting, cooking, and most of all, maintaining connections with scores of persons who will forever remember her a wonderful friend.
Due to COVID restrictions, a memorial service will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, Peg and the family have requested that any donations in Peg's memory be made to the Green Valley Concert Band (PO Box 1301, Green Valley, AZ 85622), to the Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans (17750 S. La Cañada, Sahuarita, AZ 85629), or to the Fairy Godmother Scholarship program (Rogue Valley Manor Foundation, 1200 Mira Mar Ave., Medford, OR 97504). Arrangements by Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery.
