Husband honors wife’s legacy of service by helping other donor hero families

Margaret “Peg” Ferguson dedicated herself to service both in her life and in her death and it’s a legacy that her husband, John, honors every day.

As a wife, mother, grandmother, educator and community volunteer, Peg spent a lifetime giving to her hometown of Ingram, Pennsylvania. She and John, married for 49 years, raised three sons and grandparented seven children. She touched countless lives in the Ingram-Crafton area as a longtime teacher and librarian at the montour school district’s Ingram elementary, and was affectionately known as “Big Mama” at the Ingram Community Emergency Ambulance Service where she served as a volunteer EMT, board member and treasurer.

When she passed at 71 while on duty in 2018 in her EMT role, she continued to selflessly serve others by becoming an organ, tissue and cornea donor.

John now honors her memory not just on Donor Remembrance Day but by regularly volunteering for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education. He hardly ever misses a day helping to prepare care packages for donor families like his.

“I believe that life is sacred and if given the opportunity we should do whatever we can to help people live life to the fullest,” said John, also active with the Ingram EMS. “When we pass from this earth, if we can help someone else continue living we should help them do so by being a donor.”