Margaret Wright

Margaret (Peggy) Parkinson Wright of Roland Park in Baltimore, died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, March 14, 2026, overlooking her garden. Three weeks shy of her 92nd birthday, she was surrounded by love and family. Margaret's garden on Wilmslow Road brought joy to her friends, neighbors, and all who passed through nearby Stony Run Park. She will be sorely missed.

Margaret was born in the town of DeWitt, just outside of Syracuse, NY on April 4, 1934. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Fearon (later O’Day) and Robert Parkinson and first met her husband Tim of Fergus Falls, MN on a blind date at the beginning of her senior year in high school. Tim would get rides from Cornell to see her, especially after she started Vassar College. He was captivated by this brilliant and elegant woman who was curious about everything and could talk to anyone. They were married in August, 1955 and celebrated their 70th anniversary in August of 2025.

In the 1970’s after their three children were born, Margaret earned an MA from Johns Hopkins in English Medieval History. While raising her family she worked for a short time as a children’s librarian and then volunteered in community politics as well as with The Walter’s Art Gallery Women’s Committee. Following her lifelong interest in horticulture, she earned a Certificate in Garden Design from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England in 1999 and ran her own garden design business Great Gardens for ten years. Always passionate about Stony Run Park and the health of the stream, she remained involved in efforts to protect the stream valley for all to enjoy right up into her 90s.

Margaret and Tim travelled extensively in their 70 years of marriage- eating, drinking, walking and taking in the culture of places all over the world, from music and theater in the great cities of Europe to trekking in the Himalayas, or cruising among the towering icebergs of Greenland. In 1974 and again in 1990, they spent a year living in England while Tim was on sabbatical, first in Cambridge with their three children and then near Oxford where she visited every garden within driving distance. In Margaret’s own words, she “would rather be outdoors in a garden than about anywhere in the world, which is great because there are gardens all over the world, all interesting and beautiful in their own ways.”

Margaret is survived by her husband Thomas (Tim) Wright, her children Andrew Wright (Virginia), Charles Wright (Karen), and Kate McClellan (Kent), as well as her grandchildren, Anna Wright Smith (Andrew and great grandson Nate), Clare McClellan, Sal Wright (Alena), Nick McClellan, Tom Wright, Colin Wright, and Eric Wright, and her sister-in-law, Grace Wright.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Margaret Wright Memorial Tree Fund at Cylburn Arboretum Friends.

A Celebration of Margaret’s Life will be held at Cylburn Arboretum in the Vollmer Center on 

Tuesday, April 7 from 4-7pm.