Obituary of Margaret B. Haskin

Margaret B Haskin (Peggy), 97, died on April 12, 2015, at the Parker Home in Piscataway, NJ. She was the widow of Dr. Harold H. Haskin of Rutgers University and mother of four surviving children, Cappy Haskin of New York, NY, Jean Haley of North Kingstown, RI, Betsy Haskin of Cape May Court House, NJ, and Mary Haskin of Washington, DC. Her son, Jim Haskin, of Piscataway, NJ, predeceased her. She was also the grandmother of four: Harold Haskin II, Allegra Penny, Elijah Penny, and William Schroer. For many years Peggy was active in civic and environmental organizations in New Jersey. She was appointed as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Water Supply Authority by Governor Brendan Byrne in 1981. She served as Chair of the Natural Resources Citizen Advisory Board to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy and as a member of the Advisory Board to the Delaware River Basin Commission. She was a spokesperson for the League of Women Voters of NJ (LWV) on water resource issues and a trustee of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1917, Peggy Haskin (née Blackmer) graduated from Smith College in 1939 with a BA, majoring in German with a minor in chemistry. While raising five children after surviving a bout of polio at age 31, she devoted her considerable energy to a variety of volunteer activities. A friend of hers said, "Peggy always gave her all following through on her interests and there are lots of them." In the late 1950's she became a charter member of the Piscataway League of Women Voters, helping to publish its first "Know Your Town" and working on planning and zoning issues. She was elected to the Piscataway Board of Education and served as its president for 2 years. For 25 years, she was on the Piscataway Library Board of Trustees, where she worked toward building several new libraries for the Township. The issue that aroused her intense interest in water involved her husband's concerns about the proposed construction of the Tocks Island Dam in 1972. Dr. Haskin, Director of the Rutgers Shellfish Research Laboratory, thought that the dam, if built, would reduce the flow of fresh water into Delaware Bay and thus threaten the Delaware Bay oyster industry. At this time, Peg joined the LWV Interleague Council of the Delaware River Basin. After scrutinizing the plans, the Council produced a study finding that the benefits of the dam would be fewer than the problems it might cause in the Delaware Basin. The project was halted, and the Delaware River Basin Commission developed an alternative water management plan. Tocks Island Dam was just the start of Peg's interest in New Jersey water issues. Over the next 30 years she worked tirelessly to protect and provide clean water for the state of New Jersey, at one point crisscrossing the state with her "groundwater model," demonstrating how salt water and other contaminants can enter the water supply in wells and aquifers. One of her colleagues on the NJ Water Supply Authority said of Peg that "we would never have built the Manasquan Reservoir without her help." In a 1982 edition of "The New Jersey Voter" a colleague from the LWV-NJ described Peg's pragmatic approach to problem solving as follows; "She frequently achieved her goals not by confrontation but by getting on the same committee as the opposition and then convincing them." Peggy was also a founding member of the Cape May County LWV. By working on the Cape May County Water Resources Coordinating Council, she pursued her favorite issue, the conservation of fresh water. Peg's accrued expertise was recognized with numerous appointments and awards, among others, the LWV of New Jersey Distinguished Service Award in 1991 and the Peter Homack Award of the American Water Resources Associations NJ Section in 1992. In 1994 she and Dr. Haskin were joint recipients of the Dr. Ruth Patrick Award for Excellence in Education from the Water Resources Association for their longstanding efforts to inform and create awareness of the water resources of the Delaware Basin. When not out rescuing the world, Peggy could be found in her flower garden among the daffodils, peonies, zinnias, snapdragons, salvia, and moonflowers, sailing on Delaware Bay with her family, intent on a jigsaw puzzle, or doing a quiet end-of-day double acrostic. She shared her husband's love of lilacs and together they established a wonderful hedge around an acre of land with over 70 different varieties in all colors that still puts on a lovely May show for many who come to admire. Peggy always had pats and hugs ready for one of the many family dogs. She also whipped up terrific pies for family and friends from fresh South Jersey apples and blueberries and rhubarb fresh from her garden. A memorial gathering will be held at the Cottage at the Parker Home, 1421 River Road, Piscataway, NJ on May 3, 2015 at 2:00 PM. Condolences may be sent to PO Box 157, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Memorial donations may be made in the name of Margaret (Peggy) Haskin to: League of Women Voters of New Jersey 204 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08608