Margaret Ann Rader

Margaret Ann “Peggy” Rader (née Baird), 86, passed away on Thursday, July 16, 2026. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She left her earthly body to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and her husband, Gene.

Peggy was born on March 18, 1940, in Chillicothe, Ohio. She and her two brothers, Rick and Doug, were raised by their parents, Roderick “Rod” and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Baird. Growing up with two older brothers meant a life of excitement, playful pranks, and good-natured fun—something that carried into adulthood, marriage, and family. There was always a lot of laughter and joking in our home, even more so as the years went on.

She graduated from Texas Woman’s University in Denton with a nursing degree. While in college, she met her best friend and future husband, Gene Rader, on a blind date. They married on July 1, 1961, in the Little Chapel-in-the-Woods, a historic chapel on the Texas Woman’s University campus.

Peggy worked as a registered nurse at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston for more than twenty years. Through the years, she stayed in contact with some of her close friends and co-workers. After retiring, she was able to enjoy her favorite hobbies. She was an avid reader and seamstress who loved classic movies, old hymns, and country music. Often she could be found singing country songs while working in her sewing and craft room. She also enjoyed cross-stitching; many of her projects were framed and hung throughout their home. She loved to embellish the things around her, from clothes and lampshades to doors, adding her distinctive handmade touch wherever she could. She loved classic performers such as Cary Grant, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Don Rickles, and Marlo Thomas, among others. She thoroughly enjoyed reading their biographies, and the notes she wrote in the margins of those books remain a cherished memory for us. She especially loved the artwork of Norman Rockwell and, five years ago, visited the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She had a quick, witty sense of humor and loved making those around her laugh.

Peggy and Gene lived in Cypress, Texas, for over twenty years and regularly attended First Baptist Church of Houston. Peggy’s favorite Bible verse was Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When someone would take the Lord’s name in vain, she would simply say, “He is the one to call.”

She is survived by her three children: daughter Marilyn Dana Johnson, son Mark Rader, and daughter Martha Denise Steele and her husband, Micky Steele. She is also survived by her brothers, Fredrick “Rick” Van Lue Baird and his wife, Mary, and Douglas “Doug” Avery Baird and his wife, Wanda, along with five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

There are not enough words to express how much she was loved and adored. She brought laughter and love wherever she went. She was amazing in every role she filled and made everyone near her feel loved and special. We will all miss her big smile, her beautiful silver hair, and her quick wit and funny spirit. She had a huge heart for serving others. She was a blessing to us all and will be dearly missed. She is now smiling down at us alongside our Father in heaven.