Margaret Rockey

Margaret Vogler “Peg” Rockey, of Pennington, died Sunday, October 16, 2016 at home. She will be remembered as the vibrant center of a dynamic and loving family, a pillar of St. James Church and a longtime member of the Pennington community. She was predeceased by her equally remarkable husband, Ernest A. Rockey, her son Jon H. Rockey, her brothers John Vogler, James Vogler and Edward Vogler. Peg is survived by her children Mark B. Rockey, Meg R. Chambers, Anne F. Rockey, Lisa R. Bermel, Patrick C. Rockey, Ernest A. Rockey, Jr and Carroll E. Rockey, her daughters-in-law Debbie Barlow Rockey, Kathleen Hession Rockey and Clare Calaby Rockey, and her sons-in-law Thomas M. Chambers and John J. Bermel. She is also survived by her 15 grandchildren: Kevin Rockey, Kaitlin Rockey Kellar, Julie Rockey, Ginny Rockey, Meaghan Chambers Weed, Sean Chambers, Moira Chambers, Fiona Rockey, Peggy Bermel, Christian Bermel, Brendan Rockey, Kale Rockey, Meaghan Rockey, Teddy Rockey and Ellie Rockey. She is also survived by two great granddaughters, Emerson Rockey and Chelsea Weed, and many nieces and nephews.
Born to John George Vogler and Mary Ann Feery in Trenton, NJ, Peg attended Blessed Sacrament Elementary School and Cathedral Girls’ High School. She delayed her college education during WW II to work at General Motors. Eastern Aircraft, a division of GM, sent her to Rutgers to earn an engineering certificate. Subsequently, Peg worked at Lenox Inc. to put herself through Ohio State University where she earned a BS in Marketing. It was at OSU that she met her husband, Ernie, and they married and moved to Pennington in 1955. She was a longtime member of St. James Church where she served as President of the Parish Council, a founding member of Penn Brook Swim Club and a member of the Princeton Ladies Field Hockey team (which routinely bested the varsity HoVal field hockey team at an annual match). After raising eight children, Peg worked at the Princeton Packet as the librarian. She was also a member of the Present Day Club in Princeton, a Cub Scout leader, a member of the St. James Art Group and was appointed to a Board of Education Committee to increase funding for STEM education in 1995. She was the treasurer of the Mercer County Republican committee. A natural athlete, Peg played a competitive tennis game and began downhill skiing in her mid-40s. To all these activities, her high energy enabled her to add a love of bridge, gardening, cooking, chocolate and the Jersey shore, perhaps not in this order. Peg’s children would like to express their debt, gratitude and appreciation to Lorna Silver for her kind and graceful care of Peg these last few years.
Visitation will be held from Wednesday 6:00-8:00PM at The St. James Church, 115 E. Delaware Ave., Pennington, NJ. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00AM Thursday at St. James Church. Burial will follow in Harbourton Cemetery, Hopewell Twp. Funeral Services are under the care of Blackwell Memorial Home, Pennington. (www.blackwellmh.com) In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: RWJ VNA, Foundation Office, 176 Riverside Ave. Red Bank, NJ 07701 www.vnahg.org