Margaret "Peggy" A. (Bebo) Manoogian, 74, passed away Thursday, May 31, 2012, after a brief illness. She leaves her adoring husband of almost 50 years, Harry M. Manoogian; children Tina Healey, Michael Manoogian and his wife Diane, Carol O'Malley, and Roxanne Starkin and her husband Paul; a sister Barbara L. Durkan and her husband William, niece, Sharon Durkan and nephew, Brian Durkan. She was the doting grandmother to Thomas, Kara, and Robert Healey, Sarie Whitehouse, Emily Manoogian, Marc and Evan O'Malley, and Maxwell and Carly Starkin; and great-grandmother to Cameron, Orion, Bobby, and James.
Margaret was born in Worcester, daughter of Peter D. and Isabelle (Sharon) Bebo. In 1955 she graduated from Ascension High School. She matriculated to Worcester Junior College and later, in 1977, received a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, in Sociology from Worcester State College. She received a Master of Arts degree from Clark University in 1984.
Her professional career in social services began with the Social Service Corporation in 1977. She then went on to work in the Worcester City Manager's Office of Employment and Training, working with the business community in planning and coordinating programs to benefit the disadvantaged. Following this, she was a self-employed consultant for non-profit agencies. From 1984 - 1994, she was the Director of Information and Referral, Public Relations and Resource Development at the Central Massachusetts Area Agency on Aging. Among her many accomplishments with the agency, she published the first Central Massachusetts Caregivers Guide and organized the first Caregivers Conference.
A lifelong advocate of women's rights, Margaret was active in the League of Women Voters, worked to establish the Women's Career Center at the YWCA, and was a catalyst for training and placing women in non-traditional jobs. She was on the board of the YWCA, the League of Women Voters, and the American Association of University Women. Passionate about community involvement and volunteerism, she taught creative dramatics at West Tatnuck School, served on various Parent Advisory Committees, and was a chairperson of the YWCA Teen Advisory Committee. At one time, she was a United Nations Chairperson for the City of Worcester. More recently, she was a literacy tutor for preschoolers through Edward Street Day Care Center, served on the Board of Directors of WCCA-TV Channel 13, and was a member of the City of Worcester Citizen Advisory Council. She enjoyed politics and served on the Republican City Committee. Most of all, Peggy cherished the time she spent with her family and friends. She also enjoyed yard sales, antiques, zumba, reading, traveling, and writing.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH, 90 MAIN STREET, WORCESTER, WILL BE HELD AT 11 A.M. ON FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: The Margaret Manoogian "Open Door" Scholarship c/o The Office of Institutional Advancement, Worcester State University, 486 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA 01602, checks payable to: Worcester State Foundation, specifying “The Margaret Manoogian ‘Open Door’ Scholarship Fund” in the memo line.
"Remember, the best memorial to me will be to continue my legacy of living full and productive lives."