Margaret "Peggy" Valvo

Margaret "Peggy" Slack Valvo was born February 8, 1945 in Philadelphia and grew up on the pine barrens and sandy beaches of southern New Jersey. She watched as her parents, Neal Willard Slack and Dorothy Francis (Carson) Slack built the house that she and her four siblings would grow up in. She was the oldest of five. Her brother David of Ewan, NJ; brother Robert deceased; sister Cynthia (Joseph) of Riverside, CT ; brother James ( Gemma) of Bethesda, MD. Her mother recently passed away in 2012. She is survived by her father Neal W. Slack of Woodstown, New Jersey. Margaret passed away on February 2, 2013 at the age of 67 at her home in Grants Pass, OR after battling cancer. Growing up in the small town of Millville she remained close friends with several people from her nursery school through Millville High School where she was known as "Peggy". She went to Wilson College in Pennsylvania to study art history. In 1967 she married Geoffrey Hobin and they moved to Rhode Island to start their family. Margaret is survived by two daughters; Jennifer Baumann (Terry) of Tucson, AZ and Anna Johnson of Grants Pass, OR. She is survived by her seven grandchildren: Rachel, Mary, Sarah, Abigail and Anna Baumann; Tyler and Conner Johnson. She taught preschool , raced sailboats and earned a Masters Degree in Special Education at Rhode Island College. In 1978 she moved to Boulder, CO. After her divorce she married Brad Johnson and then again later to Michael Valvo (deceased). While in Boulder she taught special needs children ; developed and published a measurement tool for evaluating their abilities. Margaret later earned another Masters Degree in Anthropology and taught cultural anthropology at the University of Colorado under a well respected professor. In 1998 she left "city life" to raise alpacas on a ranch in Fort Collins, CO. Her love of the arts was rekindled with the fibers from her own alpacas which she spun into yarn and knitted. She moved to Grants Pass, OR in 2004 where she returned to her desire to help and educate special needs children. Margaret also endeavored to widen the art world of Grants Pass with the help of many friends at the Josephine County Artists Association after immersing herself in watercolor. She is remembered by her close friend, Clyde Kirkpatrick of Grants Pass, OR, who was a great support and companion this past year. "My painting starts with a plan, then I let it go...allowing the painting to evolve and come through me. I'm intrigued by the complexity and beauty of the layering of color; by atmosphere, texture, and the vibrancy radiating from within a subject; and by that unexpected moment of awareness or spot of color that wakes me up. My work is a balance between control and subtlety; precise details, defined forms and hard lines contrasting with layered washes, organic shapes and soft edges. I enjoy the immediacy and fluidity of watercolor, and marvel at what happens when I just let it flow." In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to JCAA (Josephine County Artists Association) Scholarship Fund, PO Box 1275 Grants Pass, OR 97528. Or call at 541-479-1602.

Service Information

Friday, February 22nd, 2013 1:00pm, Stephens Family Chapel