Peggy Lou Halfhill (Wray) / August 27, 1926 - November 11, 2022 / Parkville, MO 

Peggy (96) was born in Kansas City, KS, and lived in a great many places before ultimately graduating from Westport High School at age 16. At 18, she married Frank Dryden Stanard, with whom she had two daughters: Jacquelyn “GaGa” and Jennifer. She later married Smith Long Halfhill. As a strong, independent woman, she decided to leave married life in 1974 to focus on being the very best grandmother on the planet.

She worked for the federal government in downtown KCMO and lived in Gladstone, MO, for 60+ years, raising both of her daughters and then helping raise her grandson Andrew. In 2014, she moved to Parkville to live with her grandson Chris and his family.

Peggy loved Christmas. She and GaGa decorated their entire home each year with festive collectibles, including 16 themed Christmas trees, and proudly won the city of Gladstone’s inaugural “Holiday Lighting Contest.” They took the whole family to see “A Christmas Carol” at UMKC every year when the grandchildren were young – just one of the many ways she instilled a love of the holidays and the performing arts in her family.

Season passes to Worlds of Fun were a must and she loved riding all of the rides with her grandkids in the 1980s and 1990s – when she was well into her 50s and 60s! Peggy was always up to try something new and encouraged an adventurous spirit in others.

She was an avid bridge player and part of a Northland bridge group for decades. Peggy also loved to celebrate birthdays, baking hundreds of birthday and wedding cakes over the years, in addition to making homemade ice cream and dozens of other delicious desserts. She made nine cakes for her granddaughter’s college graduation in 1998 and, in 2008, she and GaGa made 17 unique cakes to serve as centerpieces for her grandson’s wedding – a huge hit that’s still talked about by those in attendance.

Peggy had some of the best sayings. She didn’t like having separate adult’s and children’s tables at holidays or gatherings. She always said, “I don’t want to be around old people; they make you old. I want to be around young people; they keep you young.” When asked about the possibility of dating in her twilight years, she said “Men my age want one of two things; a nurse or a purse, and I’m not going to be either one.” She often remarked, “If you stop doing, you can’t do. So, I just keep doing!”

She stayed sharp through playing card games, completing puzzles, and finding new recipes to try. She stayed aware by following current events. She stayed active by playing with children and doting on her beloved family and friends. In 96 years, she packed in so much love and adventure. In the past six months alone, she traveled to both Chicago and Atlanta to help celebrate family milestones. She refused to stop doing, and was loved all the more for her efforts.

When asked if she had any advice for her family, she once said, “The best advice I could say is ‘Be happy.’ Do what makes you happy—as long as it’s legal. Enjoy your family. When it comes down to it, your family is the most important thing.”

Peggy lived a life full of love and giving – to her family, friends, and almost everyone she met. Always carrying a big smile, she enjoyed life to the fullest. At 80, she took a ride in a hot air balloon and, at 90, she not only visited New York City but also enjoyed a stock car ride-along experience at the Kansas Speedway – finally satisfying her need for speed. She was known to have a lead foot, sporting a vanity license plate for years: PRNELI after Parnelli Jones, the famous racecar driver.

Beautiful shoes, stylish outfits, and pretty jewels were all part of her everyday style. She worked hard to have the things she wanted. But she especially doted on children, beginning with her own and then her niece Kyna and nephews Kevin and Kurt, followed by her grandkids and great-grandbabies. When asked if she could go back and pick any career, she said she would have enjoyed being a kindergarten teacher. Her patience and focus on little ones was second to none. Her specialty was showing up with a smile, a little wave, and a distinctive cough at nearly EVERY SINGLE event, school program, play, concert, or sporting event to support her family.

Peggy is survived by her brother Larry Wray (Ningsih); her daughter Jennifer Cline; her neighbor and honorary third daughter Cindy Leftwich; her grandkids Chris Cline (Heidi), Andrew Stanard (Kim), Andrea Wilson (Troy), Kimberleigh Gildehaus (Luke), Stephanie Casey (Patrick), and 15 great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother Helen Frances Wollard, her father William Layton Wray, her brother Henry Jack Wray, her daughter Jacquelyn Suzanne Stanard, and her son-in-law William L. “Bill” Cline.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Peggy’s name be made to support either KC Toys for Tots (toysfortots.org) or Heart of America Shakespeare Festival (kcshakes.org) The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at St. Luke’s North Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospice House for their gentle care in Peggy’s final days.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/peggy-halfhill-wray/obituary/

Copy