Peggy Marie (Taggart) Botte, born May 31, 1938, beloved wife of 59 years to the late Henry W. Botte, Jr., died on September 25, 2025.

Peggy was the extraordinary mother of five and is survived by her daughters: Linda O'Koniewski, Laura Botte, Marie Botte and Michelle Walsh; her son Tom Botte; her sons-in-law David Bubier, Phelan Fretz, Dan Weissman, and Kevin Walsh. She leaves nine grandchildren: Rob and Brian O'Koniewski; Katherine Chaves; Caley and Ramsay Fretz; Sophia and Maya Weissman; Abigail and Elizabeth Walsh. She also leaves five great-grandchildren: Sherwood, George, and Charles Chaves; Bryony and Remy Fretz. She was pre-deceased by her brother Robert Taggart.

Peggy was born in Washington, DC. She moved to Melrose her senior year of high school, married Henry, and it was there that they raised their family. Ever gracious, Peggy had a kind word for everyone. It was impossible not to feel special and buoyed up in her presence. Peggy was beloved by her local community and her large extended family.

Peggy's Catholic faith ran deep, and she lived it with quiet conviction. When her kids were young, she and her friends cooked meals for the homeless, attended mass in the woods, and formed lifelong friendships rooted in action and service as part of the Christian Family Movement (CFM). Her apple squares, first baked for the Pine Street Inn, became a family classic. For more than a decade, she also volunteered with Angel Flight, meeting patients at the airport and driving them to Boston hospitals. She spent years on the Melrose Human Rights Commission, volunteered for the League of Women Voters and the Victorian Melrose Society.

Peg relished any opportunity to gather with her friends and family. She had deep, longstanding friendships with the neighborhood mothers who raised their children together. These women created a village of love and laughter that shaped a generation of families. She threw an impromptu party during the Blizzard of 1978 and said she wished she had a photo of all the snow boots lined up on the porch that night. Renowned for her legendary Christmas parties—born from a desire to thank the community that helped pass the Melrose override in 1992—Peggy's penchant for entertaining was enhanced by her recipe catalog, almost completely comprised of desserts.

She was up for any adventure. When her children were young she would pack the Ambassador station wagon with her five kids, plus a good friend and her four girls— two adults, nine children—and set off to zoos, ballets, museums, fields, and anywhere else they could dream up to entertain and enrich the troops on a scrappy budget. When it came to her grandchildren, she attended as many sporting events, concerts, and school performances as she could.

The family spent summers on Squam Lake with her parents, Maurice and Margaret Taggart. Mom was as enthusiastic about last-minute theater tickets or live music as for scraping old wallpaper and repainting your dining room. When her kids needed her talent, her tools, or her time, she was there no matter the distance. She would hop in the car and drive halfway across the country just to help. Later in life, Peg and Henry traveled widely. They visited the Holy Land and other sacred sites multiple times, they enjoyed opera and cultural tours throughout Europe.

Creative and resourceful, in the early 1970s, she was admitted to the New Hampshire League of Craftsmen for her macramé designs which were on trend. She showed early sales instincts when she suspended live goldfish in her hanging bowls. She went through a period of painting still lifes, oceans, and the occasional matador, but her real masterpieces were the homes of her children. She'd outlast them deep into the night, brush in hand, repainting kitchen cabinets or bathrooms, transforming spaces with the same care she gave to every endeavor.

In 1976, she volunteered as a docent with Boston By Foot, quickly becoming the Program Director. She gave architectural tours of the city for years, and trained a generation of younger guides. In 1984, she became a realtor and joined Regan Real Estate. Peggy thrived in an era when agents didn't self-promote. She intuitively understood that the essential work of the business wasn't making sales, but problem-solving on behalf of her clients.

She excelled in her professional life because she genuinely enjoyed helping people to find the right home and welcoming them into the community she loved. Her Boston by Foot training gave her expertise at marketing architecturally significant homes. She had a keen eye for spotting that diamond in the rough just right for an enterprising young couple trying to break into the housing market. Peg could fix things—cleverly, practically, and with vision. She brought that same sensibility to her clients, helping them see how their homes could look and function better. She sold her clients and her children homes with "good bones" that needed a little love and guided them on how to build equity through restoration.

Throughout her career as a real estate agent, clients trusted her, colleagues respected her, and even her competitors admired her. Years later, she became a principal at RE/MAX Heritage, where she and her daughter Linda built the Peg & Linda O' brand and worked together for many years until her retirement.

As her memory faltered, her family and friends were there for her in turn. After the passing of her husband Henry in the fall of 2019 her son Tom moved in as her primary caregiver. He accompanied her through the Covid-19 lockdown, ensuring she could still gather safely with her friends; they enjoyed daily walks, listening to jazz in the teahouse, and going to shows. They even snuck down to NYC to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

Peggy was able to stay in her home until her eventual move to memory care in 2024. The family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support she received in her final years.

She cherished her friends and relished any excuse to gather, laugh, and raise a glass—tea with her daughters, wine with her friends. Honor Peggy by doing what she did best: lend a hand, speak kindly, and be fully present when someone needs you.

Visiting Hours will be Thursday, October 2, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM, at Gately Funeral Home, 79 West Foster Street, Melrose. Her funeral mass will be held at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 1155 Main St., Wakefield, Friday, October 3, at 11:00AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.