Letitia ‘Tish’ Parsons Pegues, 63, of Hampton Cove, went to be with her heavenly Father on Thursday. She fought a very public battle with breast cancer, or the ’Beast’ as she called it. Her long battle is over and she has won.
Born in Cullman, Alabama, she spent most of her childhood and adolescence in Opelika. She attended Opelika High School and Scott Preparatory School. A lifelong Auburn fan and alum, she bled orange and blue.
Her first job out of college was with SouthTrust Corporation. She rose quickly through the ranks and became Vice-President and Director of Product Management. After a short stint in Atlanta, GA, she and husband, Leigh, moved to Huntsville in 1994. She worked at First Commercial Bank for five years as Sales and Marketing Director, before accepting a position as Director of Development at Huntsville Botanical Garden, where she was eventually promoted to the position of Vice-President of Advancement. During her nine years there, she raised many dollars and generated many friends for the Gardens. After leaving the Garden in June of 2013, she started her own consulting company, Full Bloom, and served several local nonprofits as her clients. She continued her business for three years, until her health required her to stop working.
Tish was very involved in the community and served as an officer in many organizations including the Women’s Economics Development Council and the WEDC Foundation.
She was a graduate of Leadership Class 17 and chaired several committees for the organization. Tish considered her greatest community service was to her church – Cove United Methodist Church. One of four founding members, she sang for many years and served in a variety of capacities.
Tish had many interests including tennis, singing, ziplining, travel, writing, and reading. She was an avid reader often completing several books a week. She was known for her grace, her dry wit, and infectious laugh. She was kind-hearted and generous to anyone she met.
Survivors include her husband of 33 years and the love of her life, Leigh Pegues; sons, Hunter Leigh Pegues (Kayla) of Mt. Vernon, WA, and Connor Davis Pegues (fiancé, Hannah Shipley) of Huntsville; granddaughter, Lillianna Nickole Pegues; mother, Lorene Parsons Adams of Waycross, GA; and brother, David Lynn Parsons (Debi) of St. Simons Island, GA. Her family was everything to her. Her many dear and loving friends will miss her. She was preceded in death by a sister-in-law, Carolyn Bobo; father, David Gerald Parsons; and father-in-law, R. Leigh Pegues.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Marshall Schreeder and his staff, Dr. Robert Lancaster, Dr. Michael Yates, and Dr. Elizabeth Falkenburgh for their excellent care and support.
Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 30, 2018, at Cove United Methodist Church. A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at the church with the Rev. John Tanner officiating. A private burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Russell Hill Foundation (CCI); Hudson Alpha Institute, American Cancer Society, or Huntsville Botanical Garden. (https://www.facebook.com/donate/227475494482156/)
