Margaret Ann “Peg” Lawler, 88, of Ocean City, formerly of Skillman NJ, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2017 surrounded by her family at her home in Ocean City.
Margaret “Peg” was born in Philadelphia, PA to William Raymond and Mary Regina Cleary on February 9, 1929. She attended grammar school at St. Martin De Porres and graduated from Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Philadelphia. For more than 30 years, she worked at St. Paul’s Parish and School in Princeton, NJ, the Catholic grammar school her six children attended. There she enjoyed running the after-school program, serving as tuition administrator and working in the Parish rectory, until retiring to Ocean City, NJ at age 82. Most recently, she volunteered with Volunteers in Medicine in Cape May Court House, NJ. Her greatest joys were her summers at the 17th Street beach in Ocean City and spending time laughing and enjoying the company of her beloved six children, nine grandchildren and loving extended family and friends.
She is survived by her six children, daughters, Peg Gillin-Schwartz and her husband Joe Schwartz of Cape May Court House NJ, and Mary Beth and her husband John Grant of Egg Harbor Twp., NJ, son Edward Gillin, of Ocean City, NJ, daughter Anita and her husband Emile Coetzee of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France, son William “Billy” Gillin of Park City, UT, and daughter Elizabeth “Liz” and her husband Nicholas Bricker of Marmora, NJ; and nine grandchildren, Megan, Christopher, Kaitlin, Matthew, Kelly, Ruby, River, Maia and Ryland. She is also survived by her sister Mary Mason of Cherry Hill, NJ, and sisters-in-law Evelyn Cleary, Lea Cleary, and Fran Cleary, her six nieces and ten nephews, and dozens of great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husbands, Edward Charles Gillin and Thomas Joseph Lawler, parents, William Raymond Cleary and Mary Regina Cleary, brothers, William “Bill” Cleary, Joseph Cleary and John “Jack” Cleary, and sister-in-law Mary Cleary.
Mass of Resurrection will be held, Thursday, November 30, at 10:30am at Church of the Resurrection of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish 200 West Tuckahoe Road, Marmora, NJ. Where friends may call from 9:30am until the time of mass. A Memorial Mass will be held, Monday, December 4 at 11am at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Condolences to the family can be submitted to www.godfreyfuneralhome.com
