Margaret Peggy Rapallo

Margaret “Peggy” Rapallo, née Eastman, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2026, in Sandy, Utah, at the age of 80.

Born on February 3, 1945, in Marin County, California, Peggy lived a life marked by creativity and connections with those around her. Peggy spent her formative years growing up in Garden Grove, California, enjoying a childhood described as idyllic, playing in orange groves and chasing baseballs through the ivy with her friends until evening brought the whistle for them to return home for dinner. She was active in sports and dance throughout the years before graduating from Garden Grove High School. She decided to go to college in Utah—where she would return later in life—and subsequently received a B.A. in English at San Diego State University with credentials in special education and teaching.

While at the University of Utah, Peggy met her future husband, Frank Rapallo, Jr. They returned to California to marry and then moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where Frank had been stationed. There, they made lifelong friends with the Pichls, a German family who welcomed them, rented them a flat in their home, helped them learn German, and became godparents to their first son, David. After several years, the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where they had their second son, Steven, and then back to California, where they welcomed their daughter, Lisa. They enjoyed dancing, family gatherings, and traveling together. Peggy also had a special fondness for their family pets, including, in particular, birds that she raised and treated as part of the family for her entire life.

Peggy used her education well and devoted her life to teaching, specializing in adult primary and secondary English instruction in venues such as El Cajon Adult Education, Grossmont Community College, San Diego Naval Training Center, and Salt Lake County Aging Services. She was passionate about helping adults learn English as a way to find their voices and places in their communities.

Peggy’s devotion to education was no more evident than with her own children, working with them in their early years to form strong foundations in English and math, walking them through exercises and workbooks, and instilling in each of them a lifelong curiosity and yearning for knowledge. Her approach was gentle, supportive, and consistent. Peggy got particular enjoyment out of visits in which her young daughter, whom she had taught to read and write before preschool, would join her in her classroom and surpass the college students on quizzes.

Peggy and Frank eventually divorced, and Peggy returned to Utah, where she had fond memories and devoted friends. In particular, Linda and Ben Brown were a lifelong presence in Peggy’s life, supporting one another through good times and bad. Peggy was a determined cancer survivor, as well as rightfully proud of her decades of sobriety. When her son Steven tragically passed away in 2023, it was touching for the family to see the respect and honor she and Frank showed for one another when they met again after so many years.

Peggy sought freedom and joy throughout her life, whether riding her moped through a beach town, traveling to far-flung locations with her family, or singing along with folk rock songs from strong women of the 1970s. Her sense of humor, often peppered with sarcasm, was one of her most endearing traits, as well as her earnest desire to welcome anyone who might feel left out or alone. Peggy’s ability to make new friends wherever she went was well recognized among those who knew her. Her kind heart left lasting impressions, whether through a shared laugh, a thoughtful word of encouragement, or simply being present when someone needed her most. Peggy encouraged her children and grandchildren to follow their hopes and dreams, and she felt their accomplishments with deep pride.

Peggy was deeply loved by her family. She is survived by her son David, daughter Lisa, and grandchildren Heather, Christian, Tanner, Nico, and Luke. She was preceded in death by her father, William Dean Eastman; her mother, Dorothy May Ticehurst, sisters, Patricia Dean and Nancy Jo; and her son, Steven.

A memorial service will be held on March 13, 2026, at 2 pm at First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, 12 C Street, and interment will be in the Meditation Gardens at Westminster Memorial in Westminster, California, at a later date.

Because Peggy had such a special affinity for birds and found peace in observing their beauty and freedom, the family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Rocky Mountain Avian Rescue, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3), at https://sites.google.com/rmarescue.com/rmar/donate.