Margaret "Peg" Connelly Baldy, 99, entered eternal life on Saturday, February 15, 2020. She was surrounded by family and held close in love.

Peg Connelly was born in Chicago, IL, on January 6, 1921, the fourth of five children (Mary Eileen, Bern, Joe, Peg, Jeanne.) Her dad, Joe, was a builder and mom, Bess McCormick, raised the family. Peg was an avid athlete-adept at basketball, swimming, and diving. Her energy was endless, swimming at the Knights of Columbus, hair frozen to her head in the Chicago cold, bounding off the streetcar and walking the two blocks from Madison Street to home on 211 Kilbourne Ave. While spending summers in Twin Lakes, WI, the siblings taught each other to dive. Every morning they swam two miles with their mom on the shore cheering them on as they prepared for the annual Chicago Tribune meet. They all won their age groups-Peg was the 10-11 year-old champion of the 100 free.

She was a good student – St. Mel's, Sienna High School, Chicago Teacher's College, and Northwestern University. Her teaching career spanned well over 40 years and she absolutely loved children. Peg taught first at the Morse School, then Harrison High where a WWII veteran, Maj. Paul Baldy taught Army ROTC. She liked to dance, loved Polish kolaches, and convertibles. Paul brought her a kolache every day. They wed on a frigid January day at St. Mel's and moved to Ft. Hood, TX. A whirlwind of assignments followed: Ft. Knox, Ft. Lee, Ft. Leavenworth, the Pentagon, Taiwan, Norfolk, Pentagon (again), Newport, Vietnam, Ft. Sheridan, and Ft. Kamehameha, Hawaii (her favorite). They retired from the Army and settled in Hartford, WI, moving eventually to Pensacola where she and Paul volunteered at Nativity Parish. Peg taught at Pensacola Junior College, high kicked and soft shoed with the Dancing Grannies and visited her kids and grandkids often. After dad died in 2008, mom moved to Mobile.

Paul and Peg had 8 children who were the focus of their lives. They loved each fiercely and encouraged hard work and good citizenship. Peg was renowned for her spontaneous wit. She spent nine years at Somerby Senior Living, beep beeping her way around in her walker, adorned in one of her many jazzy and colorful shirts or jackets, turning heads as she greeted others while humming a Big Band tune. Peg was a daily communicant and never missed saying the rosary and Stations of the Cross. She was devoted to our Blessed Mother and God. We will miss her dearly.

Visitation will be held 9:30am until the Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 10:45am Monday, March 2, 2020 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Pensacola, FL, with Fr. John Licari celebrant. A rosary will be prayed at 10:30am prior to the funeral mass. Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola NAS.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Peg Baldy, long time volunteer,  to The Alpha Center, P.O. Box 10880, Pensacola, FL 32524. Donations may be made by check and paypal. If you have questions call The Alpha Center, 850-479-4391.