Former Teacher Honors Late Wife's Memory Through School Quilting Club

Tom Estill teaches students in Vermont to quilt in memory of his wife who made hundreds of quilts before she died at 47 of a rare cancer.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 1:23pm

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Tom Estill, a former science teacher and now a longtime foster grandparent at Christ the King School in Rutland, Vermont, leads a quilting club to honor his late wife Peggy, who was a prolific quilter and passed away at the age of 47 from a rare cancer. Estill finds comfort in one of the last quilts Peggy made for him, and he is now teaching four eighth-grade students to quilt and make a blanket for a newborn in the area.

Why it matters

Estill's quilting club at the school provides a meaningful way for him to honor his late wife's memory and passion for quilting, while also passing on the tradition to the next generation of students. The club's efforts to use up every scrap of fabric from Peggy's leftover supplies reflects her own commitment to making the most of what she had.

The details

Peggy Estill was 47 years old when she died of desmoplastic round cell carcinoma, an extremely rare and aggressive cancer. Before her passing, she inscribed one of the last quilts she made for her husband Tom with the words 'From my heart for all time, with my love.' Now, Tom Estill leads a quilting club at Christ the King School in Rutland, Vermont, where he is a longtime foster grandparent, to honor Peggy's memory. Four eighth-grade students - Kenny O'Rouke, Tessa McGee, Anna O'Brien and Brooklyn Werbinski - are learning to quilt and will make their own creation, with the goal of using up every piece of fabric from Peggy's leftover supplies.

  • Peggy Estill died on Christmas Eve in 1998.
  • It has been 25 years since Peggy's passing.

The players

Tom Estill

A 73-year-old former science teacher who is now a longtime foster grandparent at Christ the King School in Rutland, Vermont. He leads a quilting club at the school to honor the memory of his late wife Peggy, who was a prolific quilter.

Peggy Estill

Tom Estill's late wife, who was 47 years old when she passed away from desmoplastic round cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Peggy was a prolific quilter who made hundreds of quilts in her lifetime, all by hand.

Kenny O'Rouke

One of four eighth-grade students at Christ the King School who are learning to quilt in Tom Estill's club.

Tessa McGee

One of four eighth-grade students at Christ the King School who are learning to quilt in Tom Estill's club.

Anna O'Brien

One of four eighth-grade students at Christ the King School who are learning to quilt in Tom Estill's club.

Brooklyn Werbinski

One of four eighth-grade students at Christ the King School who are learning to quilt in Tom Estill's club.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like it's very nice that he gets to share this with us, so that we can go on to do it.”

— Tessa McGee, Eighth-grade student

“Peggy was my hero. She was a no-nonsense nurse, very, very, very good at what she did.”

— Tom Estill

What’s next

The quilting club plans to use up every scrap of fabric from Peggy's leftover supplies to create a blanket for a newborn in the local community.

The takeaway

Tom Estill's quilting club at Christ the King School provides a meaningful way for him to honor his late wife Peggy's memory and passion for quilting, while also passing on the tradition to the next generation of students. The club's efforts to make use of every piece of Peggy's leftover fabric reflects her own commitment to minimizing waste and creating something meaningful out of what she had.