Margaret Mary Doyle Ghuneim, 89, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026, at Mary Ann Tully Hospice in Long Island, New York, surrounded by loved ones.
Born on October 15, 1936, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Allan J. Doyle and Nora (Nonie) O'Dea Doyle, Margaret—nicknamed Peggy by her beloved grandparents Ellen and Thomas O'Dea—grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She was the fourth generation of Margarets in her family, following her great-grandmother and aunts. A war baby, Peggy was largely raised in Boston, where she spent much of her childhood with her Nana and Grandfather, Ellen and Tom O'Dea, surrounded by her cousins on both the O'Dea and Doyle sides of the family while her mother worked and her father served in the Navy. She also lived for a time in California, where her father was stationed during the war. Alongside her own parents, her Nana—the matriarch of a large Irish family—was a significant influence on her life.
Peggy was also a descendant of the late sea captain Richard ("Dick") Murphy and Thomas F. Doyle, who served with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders.
Fiercely independent from a young age, Peggy embodied many of the values her Nana and parents passed on to her: strong integrity, honesty, kindness, fortitude, and, in particular, independence. At just five years old, she would cross Boston, changing buses and walking half a mile to her Nana's house. That independence remained a defining trait throughout her life. She was the first in her family to attend college and earn a BA degree in Home Economics, studying at Framingham State Teachers College, now Framingham State University, and later studying French at McGill University in Canada. Peggy had a sharp and curious mind; she was a voracious reader with a lifelong love of libraries. She read up to eleven books a week—right through to her 88th year.
Peggy began her career as a teacher in the Bronx and later at Baldwin High School in Long Island, New York. After completing her coursework, she put her language skills and desire to see more of the world to use as a Pan American Airways (Pan Am) stewardess, covering international routes.
It was Pan Am that brought her the great love of her life. During a flight stopover in Liberia en route to Johannesburg, she met Elias K. Ghuneim of Nazareth, who was managing Pan American's operations in Liberia at the time. It took only one morning and one afternoon together on the return journey from Johannesburg for them both to know they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Their respect and love for one another were a gift to their children, as was their shared passion for family, friends, books, music, lifelong learning, world events, and their belief that all people deserve dignity and compassion. They married in Braintree, Massachusetts, and were happily married for 53 years, until Elias's passing in July 2014.
After a multi-country honeymoon, they settled in Ghana, West Africa, where their son Mark was born a year later. When Peggy was pregnant with their second child, Leila, Elias was transferred to New York. They lived in Queens until their third child, Pamela, was two, when the family moved to Baldwin, New York, where they raised their children.
Peggy dedicated her life to loving and nurturing her family, always putting their welfare first. She was a role model of strength, resilience, kindness, generosity, wisdom, compassion, and love. She volunteered for many of her children's activities, including serving as PTA president, Cub and Boy Scout den mother, and CCD teacher, among others.
Once their children were independent, Peggy and Elias spent time living in the Caribbean while Elias served as Director for Pan American, later spending time in Miami and eventually settling in St. Augustine, Florida, where they lived among a wonderful community for over 20 years.
She is survived by her three children: Mark Ghuneim and his wife, Mari, of Manhattan, New York; Leila Demetrovits and her husband, Stephen, of Kensington, Maryland; and Pamela MacIntyre and her husband, Colin, of the Isle of Mull, Scotland; along with her dearly cherished grandchildren, Clare and Michael Demetrovits, and Sian and Reegan MacIntyre.
Peggy is also survived by her sister-in-law Marguerite Durou and her husband, Guy Durou; her cousin Alicia (Doyle) Shea; her cousins Kathleen and Patricia O'Dea and the extended O'Dea family; her cousin Jeanne Marie Blair; Christopher Smith and Peter-Michael Smith; Charles R. Boning and Kate E. Dickson; and Elias's nieces and nephews who reside in Amman, Jordan. She also leaves behind her lifelong best friend, Sheila Boozang, and her children, including her godchild Kathleen Boozang; her wonderful friend Mary Yostpille from her years in Baldwin, New York; and treasured college friendships with Carol Chop, Judy Denham, Cameron Cate, and the late Marlyn Cate.
Her loss to her three children—Mark, Leila, and Pam—is profound. She was their rock: the one they turned to in times of joy and sadness, the one who championed them to reach higher, explore, focus on learning, and not sweat the small stuff. She taught them to be kind and honest and, of course, the importance of a good old Irish sense of humour.