In Memoriam: Margaret ‘Peggy’ Steuart P’80, P’86, P’88, P’88, Trustee Emerita Steuart served on W&L’s Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2005.

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
June 18, 2025

Margaret “Peggy” Jones Steuart, trustee emerita of Washington and Lee University, died Nov. 19, 2024. She was 92.

Steuart was born May 31, 1932, in Montclair, New Jersey, the third of four children to Ruth Martin Jones, a homemaker and former social worker, and Dr. W. Rhys Jones, an obstetrician and chief of staff at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. Steuart’s parents, first-generation Americans of Irish and Welsh descent, instilled in their children a keen appreciation for learning, volunteerism, music and gardening.

A government major and music minor at Sweet Briar College, Steuart met her future husband, the late Guy T. Steuart II ’53, at a W&L fraternity party. They were married after her graduation in 1954.

After moving to her husband’s hometown of Washington, D.C., Steuart pursued lifelong volunteer activities and passions that led to myriad charitable endeavors. After Steuart joined the Junior League of Washington, the Steuart home became a hub of charitable, social and family activities. As Steuart was known for her fashion and decorating flair, their home was twice featured on the annual St. Albans School Christmas House Tour, which she co-founded.

Steuart’s leadership positions were numerous, including involvement with the Washington National Cathedral and its National Cathedral School (NCS) and St. Albans School (STA), which her five children attended. She chaired the St. Albans School Mothers Club and served on the boards of both NCS and STA. Recently, the St. Albans Alumni Board conferred honorary alumna status to Steuart. In addition, she was a member of the National Cathedral’s Building and Grounds Committee and served as president of the cathedral’s All Hallows Guild.

Her leadership pursuits extended to Washington and Lee University, where she served on the Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2005; her husband preceded her as a board member from 1983 to 1993. She was vice chair of the Commission on the 250th Observance and was a Communications Advisory Board member. She was also a member of the Parents Committee for the On the Shoulders of Giants capital campaign and served on the Theater Committee.

The Steuarts supported W&L through numerous gifts, including the W&L Fund, Mock Convention, the Colonnade restoration and renovation, the Vernon W. Holleman Jr. ’58 Scholarship, the Wilson Field renovation, Wilson Hall, the Reeves Center, the Theater, Dance, and Film Studies Department and multiple capital campaigns. The Steuarts’ generous philanthropic support was acknowledged with their recognition on the Honored Benefactors Wall in Washington Hall.

Steuart received numerous accolades and awards for her many civic endeavors, including the 1995 Mother of the Year certificate for Washington, D.C., from American Mothers Inc., and the Government of Jamaica’s Order of Distinction in 2017 for her significant contributions to the tourism sector (Steuart also served on the board of the American Friends of Jamaica Inc.). Recently, the American Friends of Jamaica Inc. established the Margaret “Peggy” Steuart Scholarship Fund for Jamaican students interested in hospitality. Numerous other institutions bore her mark as well, including The National Arboretum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Tudor Place Historic House and Garden and Parents Council of Washington.

Steuart is survived by her children, Elizabeth Steuart Kret (Gary), Guy Steuart III ’80 (Cindy), Bradley Steuart ’86 (Jennifer), Carter Steuart ’88, P’24 (Katherine ’89, P’24) and Hugh Steuart ’88 (Laura ’97), 14 grandchildren, two step-granddaughters, four great-grandchildren and her sister, Elizabeth Jones Glaeser. Steuart’s granddaughter Langley Steuart is a member of W&L’s Class of 2024.

Steuart’s full obituary was published in The Washington Post.