Virginia Collmus Carney passed away on July 3, 2022.
Peeps was born February 19, 1929 in Catonsville Maryland. She was preceded by her mother Virginia Hachtel Collmus, father Robert Selway Collmus, brother Robert Selway Collmus Jr and her sister Marjorie Crags Collmus Knoop. Her father, a sound engineer, afforded her many opportunities to go back stage to events growing up, which included meeting Amelia Earhart at age 7. Her father gave her the nick name “Bo Peep” as a young child and it stuck with her for life, later shortened to Peeps. Growing up, she loved visiting the Choptank River on Maryland’s eastern shore with her best friend Betty. Peeps remembered working a drill press for her father during WWII making cable clamps for Western Electric. She also walked the streets during WWII blackouts to make sure no lights were on (a blackout warden).
Peeps attended Catonsville Elementary School and Catonsville High School and graduated at the young age 16. She attended University of Maryland and earned an Education (Science) degree. She met and married Gene Carney while attending UMD. They both graduated in 1949 at the 5th Regiment Armory in Baltimore, at the time it was the largest graduation class in many years because of returning veterans.
After college, living in Riverdale MD, she taught general biology for a few years at Bladensburg High School and then in 1951 began working for the Telephone Company (C&P Telephone). They later moved to Hyattsville MD, Rockville MD and Darnestown MD. Peeps also worked for the Wilderness Society for a stint before returning to C&P and then AT&T when the companies split. AT&T offered her a job in Florida and she moved to Winter Park in 1983.
She remembers working in DC when both Kennedy and MLK were assassinated and witnessed the riots first hand.
Peeps loved dogs (especially Great Danes) and had many pups throughout the years. She always said she may not remember a person’s name but would never forget the name of someone’s dog.
Over the years her travels took her to England, Australia, Canada, the Galapagos Islands, as well as many interesting places throughout the US.
Peeps was loved by many and will be deeply missed. She is survived by her son Michael Carney and his wife Michele Carney, her daughter Kristine Carney Baker and her husband Brant Baker, her three grandchildren Kevin Baker, Jaime Baker and Andy Baker and many nieces and nephews and of course her dog Kelsey.