Marguerite "Peggy" Barco Burgess died in Portsmouth surrounded by her loving family.  The daughter of Benjamin Franklin Barco and Capitola Marguerite Bluford Barco, Peggy was a native of the Old Beach in Virginia Beach.

Peggy graduated from the old Virginia Beach High School, received her BA from Old Dominion College and MLS from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  Her thesis was on Pre-Columbian Manuscripts.

Peggy served as the head of the Churchland Branch Library in Portsmouth, as well as the Director of the Audio-Visuals for Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth Campus.  She also served as the Director of Government Documents in the Norfolk Public Library and was the head of the Larchmont and Berkley branch libraries.  She was on the first Day Care Board in the city of Portsmouth, served in United Way allocation panels, was also an officer in the Student's Club and the Portsmouth Chapter of International Torch.

At Trinity Episcopal Church, Peggy taught Sunday school, was a Lay Reader, and served twice on the Vestry.  She will also be remembered as the used book lady at the annual church bazaar.

Peggy was well-known as an actress and director at the Little Theater of Norfolk.  The Little Theater is where she met her husband, Dean Burgess IV.   They met when he was directing a play at the theater and she tried out for the romantic lead; it was a part she kept for 62 years.

In addition to her loving husband, she is survived by a son, Dean Burgess V of Portsmouth and a daughter, Julia Barco Burgess (husband, Keir S. Ballinger) of Suffolk; a brother, Lawrence F. Barco (wife, Maggie) and a sister, Camilla Barco Kalman (husband, Chris); her much-loved grandchildren: Cameron Gray Ballinger, Leah Skye Ballinger and Benjamin Dean Ballinger; and a host of many for whom she was a warm, generous friend.

A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2024 at Trinity Episcopal Church, located on the corner of Court and High Streets in Portsmouth, followed by internment in the churchyard.  Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com