Peggy Lambert McCord

Peggy Lambert McCord passed away on January 21, 2026, at the age of 90.

Peggy was born on May 30, 1935, in Hickory, NC to John and Ginger Lambert. She grew up in the Knoxville area where she met and married her husband Keith McCord in the mid-1950s. She supported Keith during his time at Duke Divinity School and the University of Tennessee School of Law, where she was the president of the UT Law Wives Club. During the 1960s, Keith and Peggy welcomed four rambunctious boys. In 1970, tired of constantly driving her boys to her family’s farm, the whole family relocated to Sixmile, at the base of the Chilhowee Mountains, in Blount County, TN, where she lived until her passing. While raising her four sons, “my boys” as Peggy would call them, Peggy also acted as second mother to her boys’ numerous friends and cohorts. Peggy spent a large part of her time transporting her boys and their friends to sports practices, games, meets (swimming, football, etc), middle school and high school dances (she helped her boys pick out proper corsages), and to all the other activities that her boys were involved in. Additionally, she drove her boys to their many unplanned doctor’s visits, emergency room visits, and hospitals for their numerous surgeries. She was on a first name basis with all the orthopedic and general surgeons at Blount Memorial. If you asked her, her boys were always the best at all the sports and activities they participated in. Raising her boys she saw a lot, put up with a lot, and ignored a lot. She silently cursed, quietly cried, and loudly laughed. She was always there. She was a great mom.

After her boys graduated from high school, she traveled the world with her father, family, friends, and Keith. One of her favorite places was Treasure Cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. Keith and Peggy treated that as their second home. Peggy loved to fish in the Bahamas! She always caught more than everyone else on the boat. Of course Keith was always baiting her hook and one of her boys was usually dealing with her catch, so there was no way anyone could keep up with her. Peggy was a pilot, reasoning that if she was going to be flying around with Keith, she needed to get her pilot’s license so she could be prepared in case anything happened.

Later in life, Peggy and Keith welcomed their 11 grandchildren of which she was immensely proud. She said she was too young and cool to be called grandmother and insisted they call her Peggy. She followed their lives like she did her boys, attending plays, sporting events, horse shows and any other function in which they were participating. As usual her grandchildren were the best at whatever they did. All you had to do was ask her (or not, she would also tell you unsolicited). She also welcomed six great grandchildren who she was equally fond of.

Her house was her home and welcome to all, especially her kitchen! Her Saturday and Sunday morning breakfasts for Keith, her boys and their friends were legendary, often feeding 16 rowdy adolescent and teenage boys. After her boys grew up (only in age) she welcomed their families, grandkids and great grandkids. Occasionally her home was open to various horses, a pet steer named Ralph, a donkey named Rupert, bullfrogs, snakes and whatever else her boys and grandkids wanted to show her. Linoleum makes a good stable mat. She hosted Governors, Senators, Representatives, Presidents and Chancellors of Tennessee’s many Universities and Colleges, farmers and neighbors. All welcomed with a smile, a laugh and love. And all equally important. She was a ruthless card shark, especially loving bridge and her bridge club. She even killed a bear once! Her big personality will be forever missed by her family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, William Keith McCord, father and mother, John and Ginger Lambert, her sister Patsy Carrick, and her brother John Lambert. Peggy is survived by her boys, William Keith McCord Jr. (Amy), David Lambert McCord (Iris), John Ladd McCord (Kenda), and Joseph Allen McCord (Jules); grandchildren Leah, Meg, Mac, John, Caitlin, Morgan, Jason, Reid, Clay, James, and Abby; and great-grandchildren Addy, Walker, Tucker, Tristan, Henry, and Ezekial. Peggy is also survived by her beloved sister Janie Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pellissippi State Foundation, P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, TN 37933, or online at www.pstcc.edu/foundation/giving/. Please indicate your gift will benefit the William Keith McCord and Peggy Lambert McCord Scholarship. A final barbeque celebrating her life will be held on her birthday, May 30, 2026, at her beloved farm, The Pavilion at McCord Farms, starting at 2pm and going until the last person decides to leave.