Peggy Purvis, a longtime summer resident of the Island who was married at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Edgartown in 1951 and who spent more than 40 summers on Seven Gates Farm in Chilmark, died May 18, peacefully, at Montreal General Hospital. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday. Her four children, who were with her during her last week, and her niece, Gillian, who was also by herside, want especially to tha nk her friends whose support andcare  meant so much to her in recent years.

Peggy was born in London to a civil engineer and a chemistry researcher, and throughout her life relished a challenge. She volunteered for the Royal Air Force with the outbreak of war in 1939, and worked on the development of the radar technology that helped defeat the Nazis during the Battle of Britain. She was mentioned in dispatches for her distinguished service, like her mother before her. Later, she won scholarships to conduct biochemistry research in Bern, Switzerland and at Harvard University, before she married Blaikie Purvis, the son of Arthur and Margaret Purvis, formerly of Katama and Montreal. She continued her studies, completing degrees in biochemistry and microbiology and lecturing at McGill while raising four children.

Peggy adored gardening, Labradors and early morning swims off SevenGates. Her parents in law first came to Tower Hill in Edgartown in the 1920s and Margaret later built two homes in Katama. But Peggy loved the north shore, which reminded her of Cornwall, she said. Each summer, she and Blaikie strapped a sailfish to the roof of the station wagon and drove t he family down to Woods Hole from Montreal, a two-day journey. They designed and built a home in Seven Gates in the 1970s. Peggy wasa scientist and a romantic, who did not suffer foolsgladly  but who believed in fairy tales. She loved to travel, instilling in her children a taste for adventure . She struggled with poor health over the past two years, but managed to retain her dry sense of humor to the end. When asked shortly before she died what she would like to have in the hospital ifshe were selfish, she replied: “shellfish.”

She is survived by a younger sister, Patsy, in South Africa; six nephews and nieces, Phil, David, Penny, Diana,  Gillian and Jennifer; four children, Michael, Christopher, Lois Mary and Andrew; and eight grandchildren, spread across four continents.

Anyone wishing to make a donation on her behalf, please go to camfed.org. Girls’ education in the developing world was dear to her heart. There will be a memorial service  at St. Andrew’s in Edgartown this summer at a date to be announced.