Michael And Margaret Alley

Margaret “Peggy” Ann Alley, 74, of Frederick, passed away alongside her husband Michael C. Alley on September 9th, 2023. Born July 24th 1949 in Dayton, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Luther and Ruth Sherry, and wife of Michael Alley, her husband of 49 years. Peggy moved from Dayton to Macon, Georgia in 1954, then to Sacramento, California in 1961, and finally Placentia, California in 1966. She was a Valencia High School graduate, and then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of California at Davis in 1971. She met her future husband Michael while working as a secretary in the pharmacology department. They married in 1974.

Peggy was active in the Frederick community as a coordinator and grant writer for the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, a board member and Resource Development Coordinator of the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and a member of Martha’s Ministry at the St John’s Parish. She worked for the Frederick Tourism Council for several years and loved to greet visitors to our historic city. Visiting family members would also be sure to get personal tours of nearby Baltimore and Washington DC as well.  Peggy was above all a devoted mom and grandmother.  She kept us clean and healthy and well fed, she made sure we practiced and double checked our homework, and she always stayed up late to make sure we got home safe. We’re going to miss you like crazy, mom!

Peggy is preceded in death by her younger sister Judy in childhood, her parents Luther and Ruth Sherry, and her twin brother Dale. She is survived by her brothers Richard and David, children David, Patrick and Elise, daughters-in-law Beth and Amanda, and grandchildren Luci, Agustin, Lucas, Gabriel, Gianna and Elias, and countless friends in the community.

Michael Curtis Alley, 76, of Frederick, passed away alongside his wife Margaret A. Alley on September 9th, 2023. Born November 12th 1946 in Stockton, California, he was the son of the late Curtis and Elsie Alley, and the husband of Margaret Alley, his wife of 49 years. Michael grew up in Stockton and eventually moved to Davis, CA. He was a graduate of Davis High School, and then earned his Bachelors degree in chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley in 1968.

In 1968, Michael was drafted into the United States Army. He served in Vietnam as a medical lab specialist at an evacuation hospital, providing medical care to wounded soldiers and Vietnamese civilians. His unit also provided medical, surgical and dental care beyond what was locally available, and traveled afield to orphanages and clinics to vaccinate children against malaria and parasitic infections.

His experiences in Vietnam and civilian hospitals Stateside gave him a close look at the suffering of cancer patients without effective treatment, and his focus turned to researching safer, less toxic drugs. Michael was admitted to the graduate program at University of California at Davis in 1971, where he soon met Margaret (Peggy) Ann Sherry who worked as a secretary in his department.  They were married in 1974. He completed his PhD in Comparative Pharmacology and Toxicology in 1977.

Michael was granted a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he and Peggy moved in 1977. Subsequently, he earned an assistant professorship in the pharmacology department of the Clinic and awarded a clinical research position in cancer research. Michael and Peggy welcomed their son David in 1978, and Patrick in 1982.

Michael’s experimental observations and published work at Mayo made him visible to cancer drug development staff at the National Cancer Institute. In 1984, he was offered and accepted a professional position with NIH at Ft. Detrick, and the family moved to Frederick, Maryland. In 1988, they welcomed their third child, daughter Elise.  Michael’s career continued to grow, from cell culture experiments and published papers, to conference presentations and broader responsibilities within the NIH & NCI. His work ethic surely would’ve lasted forever, but he was finally persuaded to retire in 2019.

In Frederick, Michael was an active member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, and held many lay-ministry roles within the Parish of St. John’s, St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Libertytown and elsewhere in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Community of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites since 1991, most recently as Formation Director. He especially enjoyed bringing communion to local nursing homes and homebound parishioners, and leading the monthly First Friday and First Saturday devotions at St. John’s and the Grotto at Mt. St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg.  Throughout his life Michael enjoyed photography, biking, hiking, and camping. After his retirement, Michael and Peggy looked forward to a lot more bike riding, travelling, and visiting their grandkids around the country.  He will be missed immeasurably in the years to come.

Michael is preceded in death by his parents Curtis and Elsie Alley, his brother John, and his sister Patricia.  He is survived by his sister Jardai “Kathy” Alley, children David, Patrick and Elise, daughters-in-law Beth and Amanda, and grandchildren Luci, Agustin, Lucas, Gabriel, Gianna and Elias, and countless friends in the community.

The family will receive friends from 2pm to 6pm, on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at the Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church Street, Frederick.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at St. John’s Catholic Church, 118 E. 2nd Street, Frederick.  The burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 1439, Frederick, MD 21702-0439.