Peggy

Peggy Joyce Allan

Married: October 29, 1950 Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland, CA to David Peters McClain b. 8/28/1921 Oakland, CA
Children: Kathleen Rose b. 1952 and Valerie Anne b. 1956

Peggy Joyce Allan was born the sixth and last child of Alexander Forbes Allan and Rosie Leora Crawford.
She was born in Westwood, California, a logging company town high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Mt. Lassen. This town was created out of
the wilderness by the Walker family as operations center for the Red River Lumber Company. The RRLC was the largest pine lumber company in the
world from 1915 to 1956. Peggy's father Alex was a railroad engineer and piloted the lumber trains servicing Westwood's logging operations.

After his retirement about 1942, the family moved to 52nd Street in Oakland, California, where Peggy first attended University High School then
Oakland Technical High School. Peggy went on to attend the University of California at Berkeley where she studied Accounting. Her neighbor and
husband-to-be David McClain grew up across the street. David enlisted in the Army and served in Burma during WWII. After the war he returned home
to get his college education. Peggy & Dave married in 1950.

Born: August 1, 1930 in Westwood, California
Died: January 9, 2010 in Elk Grove, near Herald, California

Father: Alexander Forbes Allan b. 7/7/1877 Scotland d. 12/24/1958 Oakland, CA
Mother: Rosie Leora Crawford b. 9/18/1888 Chromo, CO d. 11/20/1956 Oakland, CA

Peggy as a schoolgirl about 1941

Peggy about 1945

L-R: Alex Allan, Rosie Allan, Peggy Allan McClain, David McClain, Carrie McClain, & Charles Chester McClain

Peggy loved her work at World Savings. She considered her colleagues there as members of her family. She became surrogate Mom and
confidant to many. As she watched her associates' children grow up, she often acted as babysitter and as an honorary Grandma. When
retirement time came along in 1996, Peggy sorely missed seeing all of her friends every day.

When Peggy joined Dave in retirement they relocated to country acreage in Herald, south of Sacramento, CA.
Here they enjoyed their own "Green Acres" with their horses and dogs.

The new house was built next door to daughter Kathy & her husband Dave. The house was all one level and Peggy no longer had to climb up
and down stairs all day. Dave's lifelong hoard of trash and treasures found its new home in the detached 3 car garage fondly labeled as his
"Somewhere Building". Whenever one needed a tool Dave never ever could find it, though it was always "somewhere".
So now we know where it all is... lost in one place, the Somewhere Building.

Peggy & Dave lived for 38 years on Cochrane Avenue in the Oakland Hills. This house hosted decades of family parties on just about every
holiday and birthday. It was normal for Peggy to prepare dinner for 20-30 people on any of these occasions.

The McClain home was a distinctive mediterranenan style house built circa 1930. It was perched at the top of the hill with a panoramic view of
the San Francisco Bay. You could see the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and all of the San Francisco, Oakland and Marin County skylines.
On the Fourth of July we could see the fireworks displays of several cities all at once.

In October of 1991, the area was overrun as part of the terrible Oakland Hills Firestorm. Almost 3000 homes burned and 25 people died.
Miraculously, the McClain home was one of only four to survive on their street. Despite the ravaged neighborhood, Peggy was once again in
her kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner just a few weeks later! This time a TV crew showed up to film Mom's persistance.
But recovery from the fire was long and traumatic. The neighborhood took over 5 years to rebuild and was completely changed.
Many of the neighbors theyâ€™d had for decades never returned.

Peggy enjoyed whatever hobby her daughters became involved with. She and Dave became enthusiastic supporters of competitive rowing, first
with the Holy Names High School Crew team, then Lake Merritt Rowing Club, University of California Mens & Womens Rowing teams and finally with
the US Olympic Womens Rowing Team. Their daughter Valerie was a member of both the 1980 and 1984 US Olympic teams.
Peggy joined a fun senior rowing group, the "Oakland Strokes" as their coxswain and spent many a day at the Lake Merritt boathouse..

After her rowing days ended, Peggy became involved with horses; breeding, raising and showing American Quarter horses, a
passion she shared with her eldest daughter Kathy. Peggy never really felt comfortable riding but she loved weanling halter and she
even learned to drive a buggy so that she could show one of the fillies she had raised.

Lake Merritt Rowing Club Boathouse

Lake Merritt Rowing Club Dock on a busy weekend

Peggy, Queen of her Kitchen

The McClains about 1972

They had two children, Kathleen Rose (in 1952) and Valerie Anne (in 1956).
David became an Oakland schoolteacher and counselor. Peggy worked for John Hancock Insurance Company, then for many years as the accountant
for St. Theresa and St. Cornelius Catholic churches. Peggy thoroughly loved her working career of organizing and creating efficient systems. She was
employed for nearly 20 years as a Senior Executive Administrative Assistant for World Savings (Golden West Financial Corporation).

After retirement, Peggy fought and won a battle with breast cancer.

She found her allergies and asthma more difficult to manage in the Sacramento valley. She developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) which worsened over time. Her disease slowly cut into her strength and stamina. The Pulmonary Wellness Program at
Kaiser South Sacramento, with its many wonderful employees and participants, extended the quality of Peggy's life for her last years.
The support and camaraderie provided by this program gave her a reason to struggle for breath each day.

After several successive bouts with pneumonia Peggy passed away in her sleep near midnight on January 8, 2010.

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