Peggy Lindborg Obituary

Peggy Lindborg (nee Mary Olivia Mason) passed away, at age 94 in Edina, Minnesota. Born and raised in Statesville, NC, she was a graduate of Statesville High School, Class of 1949. After attending Mitchell College, Peggy's sense of curiosity and adventure propelled her first to Washington, D.C. where she joined the Red Cross. It was at the height of the Korean War, so Peggy was sent to Okinawa, Japan, where she met a dashing Navy pilot, Leonard Lindborg, who would become her husband of 65 years. They met at the Officer's Club where Lenny noticed the beautiful Peggy and paid the bartender to sail a drink down the bar to her - a movie-worthy gesture! After the war, they settled in Lenny's home state of MN where they raised a family of 3 in Edina. Peggy enrolled in the University of MN program to host young international families and soon the family was welcoming students from Japan, Malawi, and Iran. She was a gourmet cook and endlessly creative: gardening, sewing, knitting and exquisite home decorating. She became a docent at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) in 1970, which led her to the idea of creating the first travel program for members in 1975. For more than 30 years, she meticulously researched, planned and led groups around the globe for the museum, boldly writing art collectors in far-flung countries - ALL Pre-Internet!! - who opened up their homes and collections to MIA members. India and SE Asia were her favorite destinations - she visited nearly every corner of India in her 17 visits there, relishing the vibrant energy and colors of that country. Her groups included avid collectors who brought back treasures for the MIA which helped bolster its Asian art collections. Even on her adventures, Peggy was impeccably dressed, with elegance and flair; her petite frame size disguising an iron strength and enduring resilience. Peggy and Lenny retired to Savannah, GA, with a summer home in the mountains of Waynesville, NC before returning to Edina for their final years. After Lenny's death in 2018, she suffered a stroke and fought fiercely to regain speech and mobility abilities. She was intrepid to the end, always ready to exclaim "Why Not?" which led her in recent years to cross country RV trips with her daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Ron, to Washington, DC, Boston, Cape Cod and California. She ticked off several Bucket List items, including a Hot Air Balloon ride at 92 and a trip to South Africa at 93 with her daughters for a safari and ride on the legendary Blue Train. She had a great gift for friendship and maintained a large network of friends from around the world. She was a lifelong voracious reader and killer Rumikub and Bridge player. Peggy is survived by her three children: Lisa Lindborg (Ron Hall) of Prior Lake, MN, Nancy Lindborg (Steven Kull) of Portola Valley, CA, and Tom Lindborg (Jaana) of Edina, and her three grandchildren, Anders, Britta, and Berit. She is also survived by her beloved younger sister, Nancy Mason Keith of Boston, MA. A Memorial Service and interment will be held at Snow Creek Church in Statesville Sunday, Oct 26th at 11 a.m.