Margaret Ann "Peggy" Ruetz

Margaret Ann Ruetz, “Peggy”, age 68, passed away July 25, 2021 after years of suffering from Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinsonism. She was born in Racine, WI, March 26, 1953, daughter of the late Dr. Russell (2016) and Jean (McEachern) Ruetz (1956). Dr. Ruetz later married Anne (Sporer) Ruetz and they raised Peggy and her siblings.

Peggy graduated from St. Catherine’s High School, Class of 1971. She graduated from Marquette University with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and worked for many years as a dental hygienist. She decided to go back to college and received her teaching license in 1990. Peggy was then employed by Racine Unified School District until her retirement in 2013. She worked at Wind Point, Gifford, Gilmore, Mitchell, and Jefferson Lighthouse as a special education and elementary school teacher. Her joy in teaching involved working with children who struggled with learning – and she excelled at this work.

She was named Margaret after St. Margaret of Scotland, as this Scottish Queen lived her faith by working directly with people who needed assistance. She loved to travel to her ancestral homeland, Scotland, and conducted many tours during her summer months. Peggy was heavily involved in Clan Donald and served as a mentor to women in the Scottish community as she was one of the first women to join St. Andrew’s Society in Milwaukee. When not working with the Scottish community she devoted time and attention to her two grandchildren, Sophie and Lily. In 2019, Peggy was able to share her love of Scotland by traveling to Edinburgh and the Highlands with her daughter and grandchildren.

She will be dearly missed by her daughter, Parisa (Mark Bockenhauer) Meymand; granddaughters: Sophie and Lily Watson; mother, Anne (Sporer) Ruetz; siblings: John (Ann) Ruetz, Judy (Emile) Pandolfi, Ellen (Bill) Donnelly; and her other relatives and dear friends.

A private prayer service will be held at St. Catherine’s Chapel. Relatives and friends of Peggy and her family are invited to celebrate her life at the Racine Country Club Wednesday, August 11th at noon. For those attending, please wear any of the Macdonald colors (dark green, navy blue, red, black) to honor Peggy.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff at Archwood Senior Living in Paddock Lake, Timber Oaks in Union Grove, and Allay Hospice. Memorials to St. Catherine’s High School to help support struggling students are welcome in lieu of flowers.

Tha sinn brònach – we are sorrowful.