Peggy Sawyer Gorsuch

Peggy Sawyer Gorsuch (nee Margaret Amelia Dolan), 92, passed peacefully in her sleep, rosary in hand, September 13, 2025, in Denver, Colorado.

Peggy was born August 17, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois to Earl Jeremiah Dolan and Maybelle Delight (Knox) Dolan. She grew up in nearby Rockford where she attended Cherry Valley Elementary School and Rockford West High School. From there she attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she was on the university’s Speech & Debate team and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, graduating in 1955.

While in Boulder she earned a BA degree, studying Journalism, Education, English, and Public Speaking, and later added a Master’s degree in Communications and Theater from CU-Denver. She was also a part-time instructor and faculty member for the Department of Communications at CU-Denver and Metropolitan State University.

Peggy enjoyed a long, diverse and oftentimes trailblazing career in Denver. She taught English at Adams City High School and Denver’s North High. She was the “Weather Girl” and quite the television personality on Channel 9 KBTV (now KUSA) from the mid-1950s to early 1960s. For many years she worked in the local residential real estate industry for Distinctive Properties and Billings & Company.

Always active in local, state, and national politics, she had leadership roles in her precincts and in the 1970s served as Vice Chairman of the Denver County Republican Party. In the 1980s she was News Director for the House Majority Office, Colorado State House of Representatives. She also ran for office in 1976, losing her bid to become a State Representative in a close election. Several times she was elected a Delegate representing the great State of Colorado at the Republican National Convention.

Peggy was also very involved in local community groups, clubs, and charitable organizations, including PEO, Toastmasters, the Junior League of Denver, Colonial Dames, the Lincoln Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, The Society of Indiana Pioneers, the Denver Debutante Ball, as well as Parent/Teacher associations for all her kids’ many schools.

She loved music and the arts, loved performing, loved to sing, and could often be spotted in the annual “Gridiron Show” or at the Ship Tavern, Charlie Brown’s, or other piano bars around the city, and in the alto section of her church choirs. She always supported the theater and opera companies in Colorado, as well as the local symphony. Sports-wise, she loved and cheered for her Denver Broncos and Colorado Buffaloes football teams. Over the years she belonged to the Crestmoor Community Association, the Denver Country Club, Colorado Arlberg Club, Denver Athletic Club, among others, but her favorite of all was the Denver Press Club.

A woman of impressively strong faith, Peggy belonged to numerous Catholic parishes over the years, including St. John the Evangelist (now Good Shepherd), Mother of God, Holy Ghost, and Most Precious Blood. In 2010 she completed a four-year comprehensive Catholic Biblical Studies certification program through St. John Vianney Seminary, Archdiocese of Denver.

Her beloved family meant more to her than anything else. Her first marriage, to Robert Bruce (“Bob”) Sawyer, M.D. (d. 2018), brought seven children (Margaret Elizabeth “Beth” Sawyer, d. 1978), Robert Bruce Sawyer, Jr., Patrick Dolan Sawyer (Julie), John Knox Sawyer (Cindy), Mary Regina Sawyer (Alyce Meehan), Joseph McAndrew Sawyer, and Michael McLean Sawyer (Kate).

She and Bob divorced in 1982, and Peggy later married Denver attorney David Ronald Gorsuch (d. 2001), which brought three stepchildren into her family life, namely Neil McGill Gorsuch (Louise), John Joseph (“JJ”) Gorsuch (Libby), and Stephanie Gorsuch Pankau (Jon).

In addition to her 10 children she was blessed by 21 grandchildren (Einhar, Fausto, Nina, Patrick, Joseph, Katie, Liza, Jake, Kade, Luke, Cassidy, Cecilia, Ryan and Khaki from the Sawyer family side; Emma, Belinda, Isabel, Elliott, Gavin, Zack and Ryleigh on the Gorsuch side), three great-grandchildren (Sawyer, Charlie and Sophia), and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Her sister, Dorothy Alice Dolan Bliss (Bruce), of Grand Rapids, MI preceded her in death in 2013. Her brother, Richard Earl Dolan (Alma Catherine) died in 2000 and is buried in Pecatonica, Illinois.

To know Peg was to know a woman with a beautiful smile, a distinct and colorful fashion style, a quick wit, analytical mind, and great awareness and appreciation for life, family, God and country. She travelled many times to Europe, Mexico, and South America. She visited cities and towns all over the United States, and forever passionately remembered her trips to Jerusalem.

Suffice it to say, Peg lived her life to the fullest and left behind a powerful legacy. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

A Mass will said for Peg on a to be decided date. Please check back over the coming days for more information.