Margaret Helen Woerner

Margaret G. Woerner (Peg) died peacefully of a glioblastoma on April 3, 2023 at the age of 93.

She was born in 1929, and was raised in Elizabeth, NJ alongside her older brother, Paul Green, who predeceased her. Her father died during her first year at Antioch College and Peg returned home to help her mother. She married Harold T. Woerner, Jr. in 1949. She graduated from Brooklyn College Phi Beta Kappa in 1952 and went on to earn a PhD in psychology from New York University in 1963. She spent her career as a research psychologist at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center (now Northwell Health). Her area of expertise was the development of drug therapies for schizophrenia that minimized some of the worst side effects, especially tardive dyskinesia. Among her 90 publications are several papers on the side effects of atypical antipsychotics, and their consequent danger to the elderly. She was a pioneering woman in the sciences and as such she inspired and mentored many young women who went on to their own distinguished careers.

Peg raised two sons (Jeff and Todd) in Great Neck, Long Island, New York. At work during the day and home to make dinner and be with her family, Peg had the lifestyle of the professional woman of the 1960’s and 70’s. When vacations happened, she and Hal loved to travel. Among their shared adventures were trips to Europe, and also to China, Australia, and Mexico. They vacationed frequently in the US and British Virgin Islands and in Puerto Rico. But they returned most often to Cape Cod and eventually purchased a vacation home in Truro. Peg continued working and travelling after Hal's death in 1996, returning to her favorite Paris with friends, or in later years traveling to Costa Rica, and of course St. John in the USVI with family. She also continued hosting family gatherings on the Cape, and most memorably brought the whole family together in Truro to celebrate her 80th birthday in 2009.

After retiring from her professional work, Peg volunteered for several years with New York's Medicare Rights Center, helping people navigate Medicare enrollment. In 2013 she testified before the US Senate on the quality of information available to participants in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. A transcript of her testimony is available at https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/01_Woerner_5_22_13.pdf, and a video of her testimony can be seen on C-SPAN at https://www.c-span.org/person/?70910/MargaretWoerner.

In 2017 Peg moved to Chapel Hill, NC, to be closer to Todd and his family.

Peg is survived by her sons Jeff and Todd (Kristi Webb); her sister-in-law, Lois; her cousin Rosalie; her grandchildren Jason, Melissa, Aaron, Joellen and Heather; and five great-grandchildren.

The family is grateful to medical and home care staff of The Forest at Duke, and to Transitions Hospice for their care of Peg and their assistance to the family during her final weeks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Planned Parenthood.