Margaret “Peggy” Arlene Thompson, 84, of Pennington, NJ, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2025, after a long illness.
Born and raised in Princeton, NJ, Peggy was the daughter of Nelson W. and Anne T. Thompson. She spent her childhood near Carnegie Lake and later on The Great Road, forming a deep love for nature and community that stayed with her throughout her life. She graduated from Princeton High School in 1958.
In the early 1960s, Peggy moved to San Francisco, where she graduated from Grace Ball Secretarial College in 1963. While in California, she worked for the Freeman-Cooper Company, and later, back in New Jersey, she worked at the Ingersoll Rand Company in Rocky Hill.
From 1967 to 1969, Peggy lived in Vietnam during the war, serving with the U.S. State Department and the Agency for International Development. Stationed inside the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, she developed deep friendships and a lasting sense of service. She was a proud member of the American Foreign Service Association. While in Vietnam, she met Robert Spinner, a U.S. Navy officer. They were married in January 1970 and divorced in 1993.
Following her time in Vietnam, Peggy traveled throughout Asia, visiting Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and other countries. She later settled in Pennington, NJ, where she raised her family and built a 35-year career as an administrator at Princeton Montessori School—a school where her daughter now works and her grandchildren attend. She retired at 78.
Peggy had a lifelong love of horses and was a skilled and competitive tennis player, winning multiple titles in the USTA/Volvo League. She was also a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and deeply connected to her family’s historical roots in Princeton, including their legacy at the Kingston Mill.
She is survived by her daughter, Tracey A. Baskin (Noah), and son, Steven B. Spinner (Katie); her four grandchildren, Brooke, Skylar, Amelia, and Colin; her sister, Annelle Beckenbaugh (Bill) of Houston, TX; and her brother, Nelson Thompson (Mary Lee) of Myrtle Beach, SC. She was a cherished aunt to many nieces and nephews.
Peggy was predeceased by her parents and her sisters, Joan-Anne Dismukes and Meta Rasmussen.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 12, at Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, NJ. Calling hours will be from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., with the service to follow at 10:00 a.m. Interment at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell will be private. A luncheon will follow at Salt Creek Grille in Plainsboro.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Peggy’s memory to Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines at www.ryerssfarm.org.
