Peggy Trethewey exemplified a life well-lived. Her 80-year journey was brimming with intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and an irrepressible spirit and smile all packed into a “little” 5 feet, 2 inches. 

Peggy was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Florence Powell and A. Minis Jr.  From age four she attended Pape School until it morphed into Savannah Country Day in 1954. A fifth grade classmate, and one of the boys who enrolled that year in the formerly all-girls school, remembered her at that time as “an adorable and precocious classmate.” Unfortunately for that friend and many suitors to come, she was at the time only interested in her horses. She and her horses courageously mastered very high jumps, and she usually came away from horse shows with blue ribbons.

Another of her life-long passions was deep sea fishing. Her father had a series of boats all named Lovango (I-IV) after Lovango Cay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also belonged to Chub Cay in the Bahamas, which was often their home port and where Peggy caught a 600-pound Blue Fin tuna.  Not only did they fish throughout the Caribbean, but they ventured as far away as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef where little Peggy caught an 800-pound Black Marlin.

In tenth grade, Peggy went off to boarding school at the Madeira School with her horse “Lost Weekend”.” After high school she attended Sweetbriar College, without a horse! Later she continued her education with a business management course in Wharton Business School’s Executive Education Program. This led to a successful and long career in the travel business. She began her career as a district sales manager for Transportation Consultants International in Boston. Then, after moving to San Francisco, she held several managerial positions for Transportation Consultants International. As a member of the Pacific Area Travel Association, she had the opportunity to work in the protocol department of the Olympic Organizing Committee in 1984, when the Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles. She also long served on the board of Carson Products, a family company in Savannah, until it was sold to L’Oreal in 2000.

It seems the best part of her life was to be found after moving to San Francisco. Peggy was introduced to an attractive and accomplished Australian gentleman, Peter Trethewey.  They married,  and he became the love of her life for over 40 years.  She and Peter shared their lives fully. They shared the  love of the ocean which lead to the ownership of several boats, including the beautiful and playfully named For Pete’s Sake. They fished and cruised the waters of Mexico and the California coast for many years. Peter and Peggy had homes and lives in San Francisco, Sydney (Australia), Lake Tahoe (Nevada), Palm Beach (Florida), and, recently, at the Landings in Savannah. They also built a house in a vineyard in Sonoma. Together Peggy and Peter not only traveled the world but also built a West Coast chain of successful boutique hotels.

From her earliest days Peggy is remembered for her leadership and steadfast friendships, as well as her sartorial flair. In the words of one lifelong friend: “In our more than 75-year friendship, I never met anyone quite like her. At only four years old. I must have been drawn to the remarkable twinkle in her eyes that never left her. She could be mischievous and funny, but behind that twinkle was an exceptional intelligence and curiosity. These qualities made her a leader among our peers from a very young age. We looked up to her and sought her advice. Peggy also had a great sense of style. When we got old enough to wear high heels, we all chose a sensible pair of black shoes. Peggy’s first high heels were red!” Peggy continued with that sense of style everyday of her life. Dressed and bejeweled perfectly, not overly, just perfectly. Whether she was riding her bicycle to get morning coffee, meeting a friend for lunch, or a black tie event, she had the style we all envied. Her best accessory was one of her many sweet Yorkies thru the years in her arms or at her feet. There was Wolfie, Lulu, Savannah, Tessie, and Lizzie.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote: “Life is about relationships and experiences, may yours be extraordinary.” Peggy’s was an extraordinary life full of deep and rich relationships with a large family and friends from all over the globe. She nourished them all with her warmth, sincerity, and incredible positive attitude to live as long as you can with all your heart. She did. Peggy lived the last few years of her life by sheer will. One of her greatest qualities that served her in these last years was her courage. Just as she faced those high jumps with her horses, she faced cancer. Her indomitable spirit served her well all her life, even until its end.

She is survived by her husband Peter Trethewey, brothers Henry Minis (Sally), and Robert P. Minis (Margaret) as well as her greatly loved nieces and nephew—Fran Minis Holdsworth (Hampton), Amy Minis(Daniel Sims)Gates Minis, Peggy Minis Lucius (David), Henry Minis Jr. (Katherine), Florence Minis Slatinsky (David), and great nephews and a great niece. Peter’s family in Australia included her stepchildren Dr. Lynn Trethewey (deceased), Mignon Trethewey, David Trethewey, Dione Trethewey, and Ben Trethewey.

In 2017, Peggy was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees at Anatolia College, American College of Thessaloniki, Greece. Anatolia, a private, non-profit school founded in 1924, includes all academic divisions: elementary, high school, and college. (To this appointment, she gave unwavering dedication and insight. With wisdom, grace, and a deep sense of service she actively contributed to the governance of the college. Please consider supporting her commitment to Anatolia by making a contribution to the newly established Marguerite “Peggy” Trethewey Scholarship Fund. Donations may be sent to Anatolia College, 18 Tremont St.,  Suite 704, Boston, MA 02108.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA. A private burial will be held in Laurel Grove Cemetery.