Rev. Margaret Ellen True

December 29, 1937 - June 16, 2018

The Rev. Doctor Margaret Ellen "Peg" True died June 16, 2018 of injuries after a fall while attending the Presbyterian General Assembly in St. Louis, MO. A memorial service is planned for July. Born in Washington, DC in 1937 and raised in Arlington, VA, Dr. True graduated from Washington Lee High School in 1955. She attended the College of Wooster in Ohio and received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 1959. After teaching in Illinois for two years, she earned a master's degree in Special Education from Denver University and then a doctorate in organizational development from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Dr. True was a resource and classroom teacher for children with special learning problems even before federal laws regarding special education existed. She also supervised learning disability teachers at the elementary school level. She helped create the resource programs for secondary schools in Fairfax County and was the Coordinator of Special Education for forty-five schools in the Fairfax County School System at the time she retired. Retiring after 23 years in the school system, Dr. True received a master's of divinity from Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC and was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1988. Dr. True served as pastor at Waverly Presbyterian, an urban church in Baltimore and was interim general presbyter in Baltimore Presbytery before returning to the Washington area as an interim and temporary supply pastor at Silver Spring Presbyterian and Church of the Pilgrims in Washington, DC. With the National Capital Presbytery, she chaired the Response Coordinating Team for Clergy Sexual Misconduct and the Transformation Team which helped churches meet the many changes of society. She retired from the ministry in 2003. Peg sang in choirs throughout her life at church and school and, as part of the senior Encore Chorale, annually at the National Cathedral and the National Art Gallery. She was a Life Member of the Girl Scouts, joining a scout troop at Ft Myer at age 6, eventually rising to train other Girl Scout leaders and then joining the Board of Directors of the Girl Scout Council of the National Capitol. In retirement, she lived at the Goodwin House in Bailey's Crossroads where she was extremely active within her community: acting as fire warden, helping manage the community website, volunteering and organizing volunteers at the Culmore Free Clinic, delivering clothing donations, and visiting residents in the memory and health care units at Goodwin House. She was the community facilitator in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program. She loved travel, reading, history and genealogy and was the family historian and storyteller. She cherished her family. Peg is survived by her brother, Fred True (Betsy True) of Alexandria, VA; her nephews Bill True (Gennie True) of Columbia, MD; Rick True (Jackie True) of Adelphi, MD; George Krueger (Tami Krueger) of Northglenn, CO; and by nine great nephews and nieces as well as many cousins and lifelong friends. A memorial service to celebrate Peg's life will be held on Saturday, July 21, 11 AM at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington 601 N. Vermont St Arlington, VA 22205 703-527-4766 In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Girl Scouts National Capitol http://www.gscnc.org/en/donate/ways-to-give.html or to the Culmore Clinic http://culmoreclinic.org