Biography: Margaret A. (?Peggy?) Schell, of Little Rock, died September 4, 2011. She was born February 25, 1945, in Little Rock. She was the daughter of the late Rosalie S. and Robert L. Schell, of Bauxite, Arkansas. She is survived by her husband, W. Wilson Jones, of Little Rock. Peggy spent her first four years in Dutch Guyana (now Surinam), where her father was a mining engineer for Alcoa. The family returned to Bauxite, and Peggy graduated from Bauxite High School in 1963. She kept in close touch with her friends from those years. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1967 (B.S., summa cum laude), where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Zeta Tau Alpha. She earned her Ph. D. in clinical psychology from the University of Texas in 1975. For more than 30 years, Peggy engaged with devotion in the clinical practice of psychology in Little Rock under the name of University Psychological Services. Second only to her practice, Peggy loved the performing arts, especially ballet and opera and most especially, theater. She served as the assistant director for productions of Community Theater of Little Rock, beginning with ?The Shadow Box? in 1976, and continuing in that role with several productions at CTLR and U.A.L.R. with her friends, Wayne Chapman or Judy Baker Goss, as directors. She especially liked reading Judy?s original scripts and offering preliminary critiques. She served as a board member of CTLR and Ballet Arkansas. She attended a very large number of theater productions in New York, Chicago, London, and Little Rock. Above all, she favored New York City, where she often saw three plays a day. The Razorbacks and the Atlanta Braves commanded Peggy?s loyalty and acute observation, but she enjoyed watching other sports, too. She enjoyed sailing on Greers Ferry and her sailboat suppers were notable events. She took much pleasure in selecting and exquisitely wrapping gifts for family members and friends. Peggy is also survived by and loved by her sister-in-law, Ann Jones Clayton and her husband, Michael R. Clayton, of Benton; her loving and beloved niece, Beth Clayton and her partner, Patricia Racette, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; her loving and beloved niece, Shelley Clayton Gentry and her husband, W. Brooks Gentry, of Little Rock, and her great niece and nephew, Sterling and Clayton Gentry. Her nephew, John Clayton, died in 2008. Peggy and Wilson hosted four AFS high school exchange students. Christoffer Gramming (of Sweden ), Eduard Prus (from Russia but residing now in Texas ), Stefan Ludwig (of Germany ), and Denis Zamboni (of Italy ) each spent a year in their home.. The students grew up but maintained close, affectionate ties with their ?host parents? and have returned many times to their Arkansas family. Peggy is survived by many close friends and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. There will be a graveside ceremony at Pinecrest Memorial Park, 7401 Hwy. 5, Alexander, AR at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 8. A reception will be held that day at Trapnall Hall from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. (423 East Capitol Avenue). All are invited to both the ceremony and the reception. Arrangements are by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to Arkansas Repertory Theater (601 Main Street, Little Rock AR 72201) or AFS USA (One Whitehall Street, Second Floor, New York NY 10004) or a favorite charity.
Dr. Schell was one of my favorite professors at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. I had her for several classes in 1977. She had just previously gotten her Phd from the Univ. of Texas, and we students thought the world of her.
She was intelligent, beautiful, kind and wise beyond her years. She made an indelible impression on me, and I will miss her patience, warmth and sincerity.