Peggy Day Lee died on January 26, 2026, at age 90, having lived exactly as she believed one should: independently, intellectually engaged, and without much patience for nonsense. Above all, she was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who modeled intellectual curiosity, steadfast dependability, and fierce independence.

Born June 16, 1935, in Long Lane, Missouri, Peggy was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth C. Lee; her parents, Raymond and Essie Marie Burtin Day; her siblings Edsel Day, Dorothy Goodwin, Daunis Holloway, and Barbra Griffin; and her stepson, Larry Michael Lee. She is survived by her sisters Mary Shepherd and Ramona Wagner; her daughters Cynthia (Cyndi) Anne Herrick Driver and Patricia (Patty) Lynn Herrick Merritt; her son-in-law Paul Merritt; five grandchildren—Kashi (Jennifer) Lee, Sarah Driver Hugo, Jennifer Driver Wilson, Laura Jane Merritt, and Leslie Anne Merritt (Lance Butler); and six great-grandchildren: Josephine Day Wilson, Greyson and Cooper Hugo, and Henderson, Bridget, and Beau Butler. She is also survived by her partner, Dr. Donald D. Landon.

Peggy packed an extraordinary amount of living into her 90 years. A gifted pianist and cellist, she attended the University of Arkansas on a cello scholarship and later played with the Springfield Symphony for many years.

She spent her professional life as an elementary school and music teacher. In retirement, she served on the boards of Gray-Campbell Farmstead, The Kitchen, the Springfield-Greene County Environmental Board, and Christ Church Unity. She was an active member of the Senior Democrats and a volunteer at the Springfield Public Library.

An avid reader, lifelong learner, and unrepentant letter-writer, Peggy frequently wrote editorials to the Springfield News-Leader, advocating for stem cell research, environmental responsibility, and progressive causes.

Independent to the end, Peggy traveled alone to Costa Rica and Ireland in her 80s. She spent the last five years of her life happily in love with Don Landon. Together they attended Missouri State University events, Springfield Symphony concerts, and Springfield Little Theatre productions, and engaged in a fierce Scrabble rivalry (final tally: Peggy 54 games won to Don's 52).

Special thanks to The Manor at Elfindale and Integrity Hospice staffs who cared for Peggy so lovingly and compassionately these past 2-1/2 years. Her family will be forever grateful.

To honor Peggy's memory and if you are inclined, please listen to J.S. Bach, Air on the G String, Aria – Misha Quint. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Peggy Day Lee Endowment Fund of the Springfield Symphony—an institution that, like Peggy, believes the arts make life larger.

This poem was written for and read at Peggy's 90th Birthday Celebration.

A Poem for a 90th Birthday
By Laura Merritt

Ninety years, and what a flight—
From Missouri plains to peaks of light.
A cello's hum, a young girl's song,
Became a path both wide and long.

She earned her place through strings and grace,
With music carved into her pace.
A scholar first, then teacher wise,
With chalk and care and watchful eyes.

She raised two daughters, loving and kind,
With hearts and heads and voices lined
With laughter, grit, and rooted pride—
Her legacy, still growing wide.

Each daughter bore two daughters too,
A garden rich, a vibrant view.
And every girl, in her own way,
Reflects the light of her today.

She crossed the world with open eyes—
Hawaii's breeze, Italian skies.
In Costa Rica's emerald green,
In Cuba's dance, her soul was seen.
She first saw Maui in '89,
Then took her grands in loving line—
Each trip a gift, a rite, a prayer,
A bond sealed in the island air.

A faithful soul with Bible worn,
Her hope held firm through joy and storm.
She loved a bloom, a book, a cause,
And didn't shy from life's hard laws.

The symphony would swell and soar—
She'd close her eyes and ask for more.
She walked through life with quiet might,
A steady flame, a guiding light.

Through every year, her proudest part
Was family—her beating heart.
To see her girls stand tall and true,
Was all she dreamed—and more than due.

So raise a glass, and lift your voice,
For ninety years of love and choice.
A woman strong, both bright and bold—
A life well lived, a hand to hold.