`Peggy' Cannon, 77: Energy And Commitment To Excellence

Margaret "Peggy" Brons Cannon served her family and parish the way she played tennis: with relentless energy and a commitment to excellence.

No ball in her court went unnoticed those mornings she played at nearby Volunteer Park. Likewise, no neighbor in need went friendless or foodless, if she got wind of it.

"Both Mom and Dad lost a parent when they were young," said her son Pete Cannon of Seattle, "so they dedicated themselves to church and family. They weren't embittered by adversity, they were empowered."

Married in 1940, they reared eight children, gardened, entertained and volunteered at St. Joseph Catholic Church, yet found time for tennis, bridge and travel.

Mrs. Cannon died of renal failure Nov. 22 at age 77; her husband, John, died in 1991.

"She was extremely sensible, durable, rooted in the ground," said a former St. Joseph's pastor, Father Peter Byrne, S.J. "She appreciated the seasons, the flowers, the earth, and accepted people as decent and good until proven otherwise. They responded in kind."

He added that her kindness was practical and that she had a keen sense of humor, enabling her to endure five years of kidney dialysis with few complaints.

Born in Seattle, Mrs. Cannon graduated from Holy Names Academy, where she played tennis, volleyball and basketball, swam and starred as a badminton champion.

In her child-rearing days, she welcomed neighborhood children into her Capitol Hill home, which she and her husband occupied for five decades.

After the children were grown, she enjoyed cooking at the Adult Day-Care Center of Providence Hospital; her Irish soda bread was famous. She also volunteered for SPICE, an activities program for the elderly.

Mrs. Cannon took courses in writing and gardening, danced in a senior group that visited nursing homes and wrote a short play about growing up on Capitol Hill.

"Mother never stopped giving, or learning," said her daughter, Kathleen Cannon of Seattle.

One family friend said Mrs. Cannon was a deeply religious woman who practiced what was preached but didn't preach to others. She also was a sponsor of Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Joseph's.

"She kept her sense of humor in everything she did, and kept going until she died," said her daughter. "Two weeks ago, in a wheelchair and lugging oxygen, she went to see the pro tennis match here.

"In late summer, when she became really ill, as I wheeled her past her ever-bearing raspberries, she said, `I hope they ripen before I do.' "

Other survivors include her sons John, Jim, Tom, Rich, Joe and Mike Cannon, all of the Seattle area; eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 732 18th Ave. E., Seattle.

Remembrances may go to Holy Names Academy, 728 21st Ave. E., Seattle WA, 98112; Northwest Kidney Foundation, 700 Broadway, Seattle WA, 98122; or Group Health Cooperative Hospice Program, 83 S. King St., Suite 515, Seattle WA, 98104.