Peggy Teater Harris

Peggy Teater Harris, 95, of Nicholasville, died Friday, June 7, at Wesley Village in Wilmore. She was the daughter of Robert Perry Teater and Geneva Welch Browning Teater of Nicholasville.

Peggy was born May 11, 1929, at Chrisman Mill in Jessamine County. She attended school in Nicholasville and graduated from Cardome Academy in Georgetown. Her first husband, George L. Sharp, also of Nicholasville, was a Navy veteran who served on a destroyer escort in World War Two. The family moved frequently as George was engaged in pipeline construction before settling in Bartow, Florida, where Peggy worked as a bookkeeper at the high school. She and her children remained in Florida after the marriage ended in divorce. She later married Leland Harris, an ROTC instructor at Bartow High School and veteran of Korea and Vietnam, and moved with him to North Carolina. She loved adventure and took great pride in her first skydiving experience at age 74. Through her children, Peg had many opportunities to travel—to Hawaii, Bermuda, Brazil, Tortola, and England. She returned to Nicholasville when her parents got older. Her great joy in her later decades was grandparenting her five grandchildren, who happily returned Peg’s playfulness and unconditional love. Those grandchildren who did not reside in Nicholasville treasured Peg’s visits to their home and eagerly awaited their summer trips to Peg’s house in Nicholasville. In later years she also enjoyed working in her cousin Connie Broomhall’s consignment shop in Lexington where she was beloved by customers for her warmth, candor, and sense of humor.

She is survived by her brother Perry Lee (Buddy) Teater of Nicholasville and her three children: Lynn Sharp Paine of Wellesley MA, Michael Robert Sharp of Nicholasville, and Kaye Sharp of Nicholasville; five grandchildren: Wade Randall Lambert of Lexington, George Michael Lambert of Versailles, Sumner Browning Paine of San Francisco, Mallory Jackson Paine of Park City, UT, and Lydia Paine Hagtvedt of Watertown, MA; and ten great-grandchildren: Winston Lambert, Sarah Lambert, and Blake Lambert of Lexington, Willa Paine, Carter Paine, Wyatt Paine, and Helly Paine of Park City, UT, Makenzie Paine and Parker Paine of San Francisco, and Elana Hagtvedt of Watertown, MA; niece Denise Cline of Nicholasville, great-niece Samantha Woods of Clearfield, and great-great nephews Dalton Woods, Logan Woods, and Everett Woods also of Clearfield.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM at Betts & West Funeral Home, followed by burial at Maple Grove Cemetery on Tuesday, June 11. The Rev. Dr. Jan Cottrell will officiate. Thomas Paine, son-in-law, Sumner Paine, grandson, and Randy Lambert, grandson, will offer eulogies. Pall Bearers will be Buddy Teater, Michael Sharp, Thomas Paine, Randy Lambert, Mike Lambert, Sumner Paine, Henrik Hagtvedt, Blake Lambert, and Norman Cline. Honorary pall bearers will be Lydia Hagtvedt, Denise Cline, and Connie Johns Broomhall. Visitation will be held from 12:30 PM until the time of service, Tuesday, at the funeral home.

The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, any donations be made to the Wesley Village Benevolent Fund, 1125 Lexington Road, Wilmore, Kentucky 40390.

Betts & West is honored to serve Peggy and her family in their time of need. An online guestbook is available at www.BettsAndWestFuneralHome.com