Throughout her nursing career, Margaret (Peg) Lucey cared deeply about people who struggle to afford the care they need. As former director of a clinic for teenage women at a non-profit hospital in Harlem, Peg notes, “Private philanthropy allowed us to hire nurses, a social worker, provide snacks, and other resources. This clinic made a big difference in their lives.”
In her retirement, Peg has found multiple ways to support quality healthcare at Cooley Dickinson, where she was born. A regular donor to Cooley since 2001, she established the Lucey Family Endowment Fund through the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to support numerous nonprofits, including Cooley Dickinson. In 2022, she designated Cooley as a beneficiary of retirement assets in her will. Recently, Peg made significant gifts to support our Emergency Department Campaign and our Free Care Fund.
“I’m grateful to be financially comfortable, especially in these times” says Peg. Though her family didn’t have money, she notes, “I had a lot of support from them, as well as teachers in the Northampton school system.” That support allowed Peg to pursue a diploma in nursing and then go on to earn a BSN and MSN in nursing and midwifery. She went on to spend 42 years as a nurse-midwife, including at Brigham and Women’s.
Peg is acutely aware that there are those who struggle to survive day to day. “We don’t know what is going to happen, but it’s likely that fewer people are going to have access to affordable health care or Medicaid. I feel very blessed to be able to give. But I do want to let everyone know: You don’t have to give a large gift to make a difference. Collectively—if we all give—we can have an impact.”
