Margaret (Peggy) Knox Perusse, aged 76, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on July 12, 2020 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital after a long battle with leukemia. She was born on July 23, 1943 at Charlotte Hungerford and lived her entire life in Litchfield, CT. After graduating Litchfield High School in 1961 she served the Town of Litchfield for most of her adult life. She started working for Litchfield Public Schools as a secretary and retired 32 years later as the school’s Business Manager. She loved Litchfield and if she wasn’t related to you she most likely knew you. She was an active member of her community serving on numerous committees including the town’s Pensions and Ethics Committees, the board of the Litchfield Community Center and the Sandy Beach Commission. She was an active member of St. Anthony’s Church, The Daughters of Isabella, and always looked forward to painting shamrocks on the sidewalks of Litchfield with Monsignor Tucker. Along with her husband, children and grandchildren she coordinated the water stops of the Litchfield Hills Road Race for 43 years since its inception in 1977. She was well known for saying “It’s a perfect day for a race”, although, we joke, she never ran one. She was an avid genealogist for her family and friends and thoroughly enjoyed the pursuit of growing one’s family tree. After retirement she loved to travel. She criss-crossed the nation with her husband Chid in the “beloved” Mustang and also enjoyed traveling abroad with her husband and good friend Sharon. She was famous for her Irish bread, a recipe passed down from her mother, and loved to reminisce about her trips to Ireland over a piece of it and a good cup of tea. She became politically active over the past few years participating in the inaugural Women’s March in Washington D.C. and the March for Our Lives Against Gun Violence in Orlando, FL. She lived with conviction and generosity. She was a warrior who was taken too soon from our family.

She is the daughter of the late Bartholomew Knox and Elizabeth (Doherty) Knox of Litchfield. She is predeceased by her infant daughter Anne Perusse, her brother Bartholomew (Chummy) Knox and her sister Johanna (Joan) Collins Barrow. She is survived by her spouse, Gerard Perusse of Litchfield. Children: Tim Perusse (The Favorite) and his wife Donna of Litchfield, CT, Megan Perusse Oberman (The Princess) and her husband Jamie of Poolesville, MD, Michael Perusse (Precious) and his wife Camila of Yorktown Heights, NY. Her beloved grandchildren: Ryan, Gaige, Blaise, and Livia (children of Tim), Connell, Aidan, and Bridget (children of Megan), Ella and Lulu (children of Michael). She also leaves behind her older sister Elizabeth Knox Barry of Woodbury. She is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The family wishes to thank all that cared for her during these past few years to include her doctors and nurses at The Smillow Cancer Center (Dr. Talsania and Dr. Podoltsev), Hartford HealthCare at Home (Dana, Jen and Carmella) and the compassionate team at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital during the last days. In lieu of flowers please send donations to The Smillow Cancer Center, New Haven, CT.

Calling Hours are from 4-7PM on Friday 7/17/20 at Thurston-Rowe Funeral Home, Litchfield, CT. A private funeral mass (due to current health restrictions) will take place on Saturday 7/18/20 at 10:30 AM at St. Anthony’s Church in Litchfield with burial at St. Anthony’s Cemetery to follow.