Posted on 09/04/2019
Margaret Glase Bagnall, of Morristown, died on August 29, 2019 at the age of 94. Peggy Glase was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 7, 1925, to Robert L. Glase, a physician, and Lida R. Glase, a music teacher. She grew up in Seattle, received her B.A. from Whitman College in 1945, and earned an M.A. in English from Columbia University in 1946, with a thesis on Henry James. That same year she married Roger S. Bagnall, who had just graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. After eight years of Navy life and many moves, they settled in the Bay Area in California, where Peggy taught high school English. They moved in 1966 to Lopez Island, Wash., and two years later to Northfield, Mass., finally settling in 1971 in Oyster Bay. In all of these places she continued to teach high school English, until her retirement in 1985, when she and Roger moved to Morristown to be close to their daughter Anne and help with the care of her children. They became active members of St. Peter's Church, singing in the choir for many years. Roger died in 2008.
Peggy and Roger had four children, all of whom survive her: Roger Bagnall (with his wife Whitney Bagnall, New York), Anne Yardley (with her husband James Yardley, Morristown), Catherine Bagnall (Rhinebeck, NY), and Robert Bagnall (with his husband, Alex Tang, Washington, DC). She is also survived by five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, in whom she took an intense interest.
As well as a choir singer, Peggy was a director of children's choirs and a pianist. She and Roger spent many summers traveling or living in England and enjoying the cathedral choirs and organs there, above all King's College Cambridge. She loved and was highly knowledgeable about English choral music, organ music, and the music of J. S. Bach, as well as architecture, art, and literature.
The family is grateful to the caregivers from Visiting Angels who helped her the last few years and to Atlantic Hospice for their support the last few weeks of her life, allowing her to die peacefully at home.
The family has asked for memorial gifts to be made to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Morristown designated for the fund for a new organ console. A memorial evensong will be held at the church on September 28th at 4:00pm.
Published in Daily Record on Sept. 1, 2019