Following is the obituary for MARGARET CLARK HENKEL, submitted by her family.

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A celebration of life for Margaret Clark Henkel, 96, a longtime Westport resident and Lake Worth Beach, Fla., has been scheduled at Christ & Holy Trinity Church (where she had been a member since 1965) on Nov. 23 at 9:30 a.m.

Peggy, as she was known during her many careers, was born in Wuhu, China, in 1926. She and her parents were on the last British ship leaving China in late 1927. The young family returned to live in Marietta, Ohio, and then Columbus, Ohio.

Miss Clark attended Arlington High School and was graduated from Ohio State University in 1944. After college, Miss Clark worked as a fashion coordinator at the Lazarus Department Store in Columbus, where she met her future husband, Robert T. Henkel, also from Columbus. The couple had one daughter, Elizabeth.

As Mr. Henkel’s career in public relations progressed, the young family moved to Westport, where Mrs. Henkel became involved in a series of philanthropic efforts, including the Connecticut Child Welfare Association and later the Westport Historical Society, of which she was president and head of development for several years. Under Mrs. Henkel’s direction, the historical society was able to purchase its first property and to open a small museum and offices. Her work helped the historical society identify significant homes, and mark them with WHS plaques and develop a learning tour of Colonial Westport for school children.

When Wheeler House — across the street from the first WHS site — became available, Mrs. Henkel elicited the assistance of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward to spearhead the fundraising efforts, which led to the purchase of the property that is at present the Westport Museum of History and Culture.

In the late 1970s, Peggy spearheaded the “needlepoint kneeler project” for Christ & Holy Trinity Church, under the watchful eye of Dana Kennedy, the church’s pastor at the time, organizing the designs, yarns, and all of the church members who participated in the project.

In the early 1980s, Peggy joined the Westport Marketing Group and made her reputation as an events planner for their various clients, notably working for the National Parks Commission as a liaison with the White House Visitors Office. For 12 years, during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton presidencies, Peggy was responsible for the opening night entertainment at the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., and for the Easter egg roll at the White House on Easter Mondays.

After “retiring” from marketing and special events, Peggy joined Northwestern Mutual Life in Westport, and later Shelton, where she remained for almost 15 years and retiring (for real this time) at 86 years of age.

Peggy Henkel was very artistic. She loved to sew, needlepoint and sketch, but most of all she was an avid oil painter. She studied early on with Nancy Anderson, then for many years with Arlene Skutch at the Pink House Painters, and later with Leona Frank. She loved to read, particularly mysteries; listen to classical music; she read the New York Times every day and watched her favorite programs on PBS.

Mrs. Henkel departed as she lived with great dignity and style, at home with her family and, of course, the dogs. 

She was predeceased by her husband, Robert; her sister, Juliette Clark Clarke, and her brother, Richard Clark. She is survived by her half-sister, Dorothy Clark Desch; her daughter, Elizabeth and beloved son-in-law, Nicolas de Lavalette; her grandchildren, Christian de Lavalette and his wife, Karla, Alexandre de Lavalette and paralympian Beatrice de Lavalette, PLY.

The celebration of life will be followed by a short reception in the Great Hall, and interment of her ashes at the Christ & Holy Church Cemetery on Kings Highway in Westport.