Margaret "Peg" Titus Dekker

Margaret ("Peg") Titus Dekker passed away on February 6, 2013, in Granville, Ohio. She is survived by a younger sister, Louise Titus Berry; two sons and daughters-in-law, David Titus and Page Dekker and Robert Olney and Barrie Dekker; six grandchildren, Nick, Mason, Connor, Reese, Tommy and Olivia and two great grandchildren, Jacob and Blake.

Peg was born in Granville on October 16, 1929, to Harold Hopper Titus and Pauline (Parry) Titus. She graduated from Granville High School in 1947, and attended Denison University, where her father was Chairman of the Philosophy Department. Peg graduated with a B.A. from Denison in 1951, having earned membership on the Dean's List and Mortar Board. She later did graduate studies at Kent State University, where she received a Masters and Ed. S. in Education, with honors, majoring in School Psychology.

Peg was extremely active during her four years at Denison, including service as President of the Delta Gamma sorority, in student government, and as a camp counselor at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire during the summers. In 1949, Peg was one of four Girl Scouts selected to represent the United States at the first post-World War II international Girl Scout conference in Switzerland, and she continued to be active in Girl Scouts for the next 25+ years, as a troop leader, and member of the Board of Trustees for Northern Ohio. She married Olney Dekker on June 12, 1951, the day after receiving her B.A. from Denison.

Peg and Olney moved to the Cleveland area, and raised three children while living in Warrensville Heights and Bainbridge Township, the latter in a house they built in 1960 on a lot in the Lake Lucerne community. Peg and Olney divorced in 1977, but remained friends. Peg then lived in the Tanglewood community for a number of years, before returning to Granville. She worked for the Geauga County Board of Education, serving as school psychologist for the Berkshire School system.

Throughout her life, Peg was active in social and charitable organizations. In addition to the Girl Scouts, while in the Cleveland area she was the Director of Camp Sue Osborn in Burton, Ohio, which is dedicated to providing camp experiences to children with special needs. She was also a Stephens Minister; served on the Board of Trustees of the Geauga Community Health Center; a Gold Award winner from the Cleveland area United Way; on the Board of Fidelity Nurseries, an inner city day nursery; an officer of the PEO, the PTA, Torch, Denison Alumnae and other service organizations; a Madrigal singer; Chairman of the Board of Education, and Chairman of the Children's Task Force, for the First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights; and an active member of Lake Lucerne and Tanglewood neighborhood communities. After returning to Granville, she remained an active member of her church, the PEO, and the Kendal at Granville community.

A memorial service will be held for Peg in Granville on Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 1:00 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church, 110 W. Broadway, Granville, followed by a Commemoration of Life reception at 2:30 p.m. at Kendal at Granville, 2158 Columbus Rd., Granville.

A celebration of Peg's life will also be held at the First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on March 10, 2013, at 1:00 p.m.

Gifts in memory of Peg may be made to Camp Sue Osborn, 8090 Broadmoor Rd., Mentor, Ohio 44060

Peg was a loving and dedicated mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, who will be dearly missed.