Margaret J. Button

ALTAMONT — Peg Button (Margaret Josephine Ward Condit Button), 72, of Altamont NY, passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan nursing home in Delmar, NY on Friday, September 15, 2017, surrounded by loved ones. She was born on February 19, 1945 in New Bedford, MA to Edith Alice Ashworth and Fred Cushman Ward.

Peg always had an inquisitive mind and a compassionate nature, two traits that defined her path through life. She believed in fairness and equality for all, and advocated an approach to life that focused on joy, service, and leaving the world a better place.

She began piano lessons at age 3, and music became part of her legacy. While most young people had jobs flipping burgers, young Peggy began her teens as the church organist for several Christian denominations throughout the New Bedford/Dartmouth MA area. Her love of music of all kinds was a sustaining influence in her life, and a gift she passed on to her children and many who knew her.

She graduated Dartmouth High School in 1962, and went on to Amherst College, where she met her first spouse, Norman I. Condit, Jr., and from that marriage were born Christine Lee (Condit) Tice and Catherine Ashworth (Condit) (Rogers). In 1980, she married the love of her life, Arthur Frederick Button, and from that marriage was born Rebecca Julia (Button) Burnside. She is also survived by her grandchildren Jessica Lynne Tice, Leanna Christine Tice, (Maxwell) Sage(Lily) Ashworth, and Janet Alise Ashworth Rogers.

After obtaining a degree in Theater from SUNY Albany, Peg established a career with the NYS Dept. Of Taxation & Finance, finding great joy in her transition from her first role as a data entry operator to her final role as a trainer for the Total Quality Management initiative. She loved teaching and the opportunity to help people, so post-retirement she took a position as a Teaching Assistant at Guilderland High School (NY), where her ability to have a direct and positive influence on young lives gave her great satisfaction. She was also a former long-time member of the Lions Club and a current member of the Altamont Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. No matter where she went or what she did, she was the kind of person who became an indispensable friend to all who knew her.

Peg believed in magic, and embraced the idea that life was an ongoing spiritual opportunity for growth.  She believed in the sacredness of the Earth, and humankind’s inter-relatedness to the planet and all life. She loved camping and spending time in nature. She found the family of her heart as an initiate of the Mystic Tradition of Owl Mountain, embraced by the extended love of so many she touched. She taught workshops on topics of personal empowerment, which also usually focused on personal responsibility. She’ll help you out, as long as you own your own s**t. She knew the path you took, where you were going, where you went wrong, and how to change course.  This knowing was her great gift to all who knew her well.

She will always be remembered for her intelligence, kindness, easy-going nature, avid love of life, and goofy sense of humor. She knew how to dance, loved to “dirty dance” with her husband best of all, and was completely ready to embrace any opportunity to let joy and laughter loose on the world.  She also knew how to get down to business and be serious, and she was the best and most reliable mentor a child or colleague could ever have. She was a patient guide to many life problems, and always seemed to have the right perspective needed to shift thinking in a new direction. She is dearly beloved by all she leaves behind.

Visiting Hours and a Memorial service will be held in the Hans Funeral Home, 1088 Western Ave., Albany, Saturday afternoon, September 23^rd.  Visiting hours will begin at 12:00 pm with the memorial service at 2:30 pm.  Relatives and friends are invited, and may call at the funeral home Saturday.  There will be a reception for friends and family afterward.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorial contributions to The Alzheimer’s Association, 800-272-3900, www.alz.org, PO Box 96011, Washington DC 20090-6011.  To leave a message of remembrance or condolence for the family or obtain directions to the funeral home, please visit www.HansFuneralHome.com .